F1 News

magnussen appeals to fia after Norris incident and points to US

Magnussen appeals to FIA after Norris incident: 'Look at the US!'

4 July at 20:15
3
  • Ludo van Denderen

If anyone has had to take penalties in Formula 1 in recent months, it is Kevin Magnussen. The Haas F1 Dane is still only one infringement away from a suspension. Max Verstappen, after his penalty from his collision with Lando Norris at the Austrian Grand Prix, is far from that. The Dutchman received two penalty points on his licence as well as a ten-second time penalty for the clash which ended Norris' race. Magnussen thinks this is all a bit too much and appeals to the FIA.

"It's frustrating that rules are interpreted differently all the time," Dane argues. "Maybe they should make them a bit freer. In the end, Max got a penalty, which may have been justified according to the rules. But he had already been punished on his own with the puncture, so it didn't add anything at that point."

Magnussen sees good example in America

According to Magnussen, it would be better to give more freedoms to the drivers. "Then they will probably fight hard, but in the end you want to finish the race. Then you have to keep your car in one piece and that keeps drivers from doing crazy things. I think it's better to assume that people want to finish the race, rather than just assuming honours every time."

The Haas F1 driver makes the comparison with IndyCar. "I have driven IndyCar myself and also sports cars in America. In the US, they have this approach, to let the drivers race and it works. It's not like it's out of control there. When you drive there, it's a bit like karting used to be. There, there were no specific rules for anything and everything, and it worked naturally. And the racing was great!"

Magnussen does like the fact that it is forbidden to change direction during braking. "I think you have to make a move before the other person does, otherwise it's dangerous if someone slipstreams you and you move right after he moved. You can't do that. Once you hit the brakes, changing direction too much is also dangerous."

This article was written in collaboration with Ben Stevens.