F1 News

Magnussen reaction after penalties during sprint race Miami

Magnussen frustrated at Hulkenberg: 'He could have protected me with drs'

4 May at 18:47

Kevin Magnussen did not just let Lewis Hamilton overtake him during the sprint race in Miami. The Dane received two penalties for his actions. He himself agreed with his penalties, he told Sky Sports.

Magnussen cut the chicane, after which Hamilton complained over the radio. The Haas driver was eventually given a 10-second penalty for this. Later in the sprint race, the Dane received another penalty for pushing the Brit off the track, causing him to lose another position to Yuki Tsunoda.

Magnussen blames teammate Hulkenberg

"[Penalty was] well deserved, no doubt about it, but I had to play the game again," the Dane said. "I was in a very good position behind Nico there. And at the beginning of the race I gained a lot of position, I was up in P8. And I protected well from Lewis because I had DRS from Nico and I had good pace I felt. But then Nico cut the chicane and I lost the DRS."

He continued: "Nico could have given that back to give me the DRS to protect because then we would have easily been P7, P8 instead. I was really vulnerable to Lewis, started fighting with him like crazy. And I had to just create the gap like I did in Jeddah. I started using these stupid tactics which I don't like doing but at the end of the day I did my job as a team player. And Nico scored his points because I got that gap for him. So Lewis and Tsunoda couldn't catch. So not the way I like to go racing at all but what I had to do today."