Kevin Magnussen Calls Out The FIA For 'Restricting Racing' After Race Ban

Saajan Jogia | Sep 19, 2024

Kevin Magnussen / Haas Press Image

As Haas driver Kevin Magnussen prepares to return to the Marina Bay Street Circuit this weekend, he reflects on the race ban that kept him out of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Magnussen expressed concerns about the FIA's policing, arguing that it creates a challenging environment for the sport by "restricting racing." He lamented that Formula 1 is no longer the sport he loved.

The Dane's race ban at Baku was triggered by accumulating a total of 12 penalty points on his super license over the past year. During the Italian Grand Prix, Magnussen was given a 10-second time penalty and two additional penalty points on his super license, leading to the ban after a collision with Pierre Gasly at Turn 4.

During his attempt to pass Gasly on the inside, Magnussen's Haas VF-24 made contact with Gasly's Alpine A524. While both cars continued racing, the stewards ruled the maneuver as unsafe and uncontrolled, holding Magnussen accountable for breaching Article 2(d) of Chapter IV, Appendix L, of the FIA International Sporting Code.

Not only Gasly, but several other drivers termed Magnussen's race ban as 'harsh', with many asking for a review of the rules. When the Haas driver was told about the support he received from other drivers, he told the media:

"I haven't seen what's been said but it's nice if that's the case.

"My own opinion is that it's not a great situation for F1 to restrict racing in that way. It feels bad when the sport you love so much changes in a way you don't appreciate.

"I'm certainly one that... I like hard racing and I think that's a big part of the beauty of motorsport – the battles and [being] on the limit and slightly over.

"That balance is what makes or breaks your race and at the moment it feels like they're punishing ridiculous things.

"Personally, as a Formula 1 fan, I'd like to see the sport open up again and just allowing the great racing that can be seen on track."

Though the penalty points system could change after a review by the end of the current season, Magnussen set the example of IndyCar as an ideal racing model. He said:

"I've raced in IndyCar.

"I've watched the races on television, and I think they have it [right] going over there.

"They have fantastic racing. The drivers are respectful to each other. They're left with that responsibility in their hands, and I think that works.

"It has to be tough and these cars are put on track with the knowledge that they might get damaged.

"And, if they do, then the driver that damages his car, he gets penalised naturally. And I think the only thing that is different in Formula 1 to IndyCar are the tracks.

"The tracks are not great for racing. With all this track-limit stuff, I got all my penalty points pretty much for track limits at the end of the day.

"I think that's kind of stupid to be a few centimetres out of a wide line and end up with a race ban because of that. It's not the sport I love."

Magnussen remains hopeful that the FIA will increase its trust in the drivers, suggesting that he feels like "they know it's not the right way at the moment." He added:

"Hopefully they will open up and realise that they need to trust the drivers.

"Of course there are things that you have to clamp down on. There are things like moving under braking and reacting to movement.

"There are dangerous things that you should clamp down on. But apart from the little things, just let it go."

With his penalty points reset to zero again, the 31-year-old driver might be spending his last season in Formula 1. He then jokingly commented on his return, saying he was "ready to f**k s**t up now!"