Magnussen racks up ten penalty points: 'It's been valuable to us'

F1 News

Magnussen reacts to being close to a race ban
16 May at 15:24
2
  • Matt Gretton
  • Editor-in-Chief

Kevin Magnussen has questioned whether penalty points should be handed out for certain issues on track as he nears a race ban. If Magnussen gets two more penalty points in the 2024 Formula 1 season, he will be forced to sit on the sidelines due to reaching the threshold.

Magnussen's driving in Miami last time out was criticised. The Dane hampered Lewis Hamilton's progress by driving off the track and admitted he did what he had to do to increase his teammate's chances of a points finish. Magnussen admits he will now be more careful but believes it has been worth it.

"The next time is a race ban. These situations where I've had to play the support role for my teammate have been paying off. So it's been kind of valuable to us. I don't love the way the rules are. I think there's stuff to be looked at there. And for myself, I'm on 10 points, so I have to be careful not to get a race ban," Magnussen said ahead of the Imola Grand Prix.

Track limits

Track limits are a much-discussed subject within Formula 1. The Haas driver doesn't believe penalty points should be handed out for violations of this rule. "The fact that I'm at risk of a race ban for driving outside of some white lines on a piece of tarmac...I don't know if I feel that that is right, but it is the way the rules are," Magnussen continued before suggesting a change to the rules should be made.

"There are more races now than there were back when they were introduced it, and I feel you can end up getting a race ban effectively for a very minor thing," he concluded.

If drivers pick up 12 penalty points, they will receive a race ban. Points stay on the licence for 12 months. The system was introduced when there were less than 20 races per season. In 2024, Formula 1 will visit 24 different circuits.