Back from suspension, Kevin Magnussen is not tender with the FIA

The Danish driver has already made his return to Formula 1. Suspended last weekend in Baku for reaching the limit of penalty points allowed on his Super License after an incident with Gasly at Monza, the former McLaren driver strongly criticized the current approach of the governing body regarding the sanctions imposed on drivers, especially when they are racing on the track. He cites his slight collision with Pierre Gasly at turn four in Italy as an example, where the two drivers touched when the Danish driver tried to overtake him. Ten seconds of penalty had been imposed on him that day, as well as two points on his license, a sanction that even Gasly had difficulty understanding.

Pilots supporting Magnussen

« I didn’t know he was penalized [laughs]. I find it a bit harsh, he tried. Afterwards, we touched a bit, I couldn’t make the turn and he cut me off, but… I’m surprised he got a 10-second penalty for that. Honestly, it was nothing. It was a bit of wheel-to-wheel and, in the end, I hardly lost any time. I’m a bit surprised. I hope they can reconsider this decision because it would be really unfair. » His Haas teammate also made similar comments, with the German not understanding the severity advocated by the FIA. « I didn’t see two penalty points in this incident, and a 10-second penalty is very harsh in my opinion, and most drivers feel the same way. »

For Magnussen, F1 should take inspiration from Indycar.

Even if the Formula 1 governing body did not reverse its decision, Magnussen believes that it should consider revising its system that penalizes ridiculous things and limits the drivers’ willingness to attempt an overtaking move, risking a penalty. This does not serve Formula 1, which should ideally be a spectacle of great battles on the track.

« My personal opinion is that it is not a good situation for F1 to limit the races in this way. It hurts when the sport you love so much changes in a way that you do not appreciate, revealed the Dane to media including Autosport. « I am certainly one of those who love fierce racing, and I think that is a big part of the beauty of motorsport – the battles and fighting at the limit, even a little beyond. Personally, as a Formula 1 fan, I would like to see the sport open up again and simply allow for great races on track. »

Magnussen believes that Formula 1 should take inspiration from IndyCar when it comes to penalty decisions. The American championship does not penalize contact between drivers and only assigns sanctions if an overtaking maneuver is too aggressive and results in serious consequences for both drivers. Additionally, the IndyCar regulations include deducting points from the championship standings if a driver receives a penalty, forcing them to respect each other during battles on track. “I raced in IndyCar,” said Magnussen about his participation in a race at Road America with Arrow McLaren in 2021. “I watched the races on TV, and I think they have it right over there.”

« They have great races. The drivers respect each other. Responsibility is left to them, and I think it works. You have to be tough, and these cars are put on track with the understanding that they could be damaged. And, if they are, the driver who damages his car is naturally penalized. And the only thing that I think is different in Formula 1 compared to IndyCar is the circuits. »

Circuits that present additional challenges for the drivers.

The poleman of the Brazilian Grand Prix 2022 also criticizes the track configurations, especially those where there are no gravel traps, which encourage drivers to want to push the limits and exceed them, which ends up being penalized. The Dane believes that the FIA imposes penalties that are not proportional to the seriousness of the situation, particularly when it decides to deduct Super License points for track limits.

« The circuits are not conducive to racing. With all these stories of track limits, I received almost all my penalty points because of track limits in the end. I find it stupid to be just a few centimeters outside a wide line and end up with a race ban because of that. This is not the sport I love. » Having now recovered all his points, the Haas driver will be able to focus on the Singapore Grand Prix and is already ready to take on the other 19 drivers, explaining that he could now go all out since all his points have been reset.

The Dane will in any case try to finish his adventure with Haas on a high note, as he will be replaced next year by Ollie Bearman, who already replaced him last weekend in Baku.