By Lawrence Barretto | |
F1 Reporter |
"I had a better offer from Haas," is how Kevin Magnussen describes his reason for signing for the American team on a multi-year deal. It sounds like a straightforward decision. But this will be his third full season in F1 with a third different team, which is unusual in modern grand prix racing. McLaren did not work out. Neither did Renault. So what makes him think this experience will be any different? McLaren gave Magnussen the boot via email on his 23rd birthday in October 2015. It was a brutal way for the team to communicate its decision, and a real blow to his F1 prospects. Stoffel Vandoorne, who lost out to Magnussen in the battle for the 2013 Formula Renault 3.5 title, had also emerged as McLaren's preferred future option. And after a year spent doing very little (since McLaren had taken too long to sanction a race programme alongside his reserve duties), Magnussen found himself no longer required and with very little time to find an alternative. With the grid all but complete for 2016, Magnussen's F1 hopes hung by a thread. But he was handed a lifeline when Pastor Maldonado's long-time sponsor PDVSA, Venezuela's state-owned oil and gas company, had a disagreement with Renault, which was in the process of making Lotus its works team, and the contract was ultimately dissolved. Renault got on the phone and offered Magnussen a second chance, a rarity in F1. The Dane was grateful, relieved and determined to make the most of it. Magnussen was the stronger of the two race drivers in the first half of the 2016 season, which peaked with an unlikely seventh place in Russia, and his performances were made to look even better given team-mate Jolyon Palmer's struggles. But then Palmer found his way and, rather than kicking on, Magnussen failed to respond. While Magnussen was 11-4 up in qualifying three quarters of the way into the season, Palmer reduced the deficit to 11-8 by the end. The Briton finished ahead in five of the final six qualifying sessions, Mexico being an anomaly since he did not take part because of chassis damage. Palmer also scored a point in Malaysia and edged Magnussen 3-1 when both cars finished in the final six races. Scoring a point in Singapore, having gone the whole race without being able to drink any water in 30C heat and high humidity, proved what Magnussen can do. But that was only a flash. And ultimately, at a time of the year when contracts are discussed, Palmer delivered and Magnussen did not. Sources at Renault were questioning his work ethic, something that insiders at McLaren also hinted at following his time in Woking. It is believed that when at McLaren, Magnussen would work hard to reach a certain level of tyre understanding and once he hit that, he would feel he knew enough about it and would stop engaging with his team. In F1, you cannot survive with that attitude. Friction with teams had been a factor in Magnussen's junior career too. Magnussen switched from Carlin to DAMS ahead of the 2013 FR3.5 season, and the relationship worked well during the winter. But once the season started, Magnussen and his engineer clashed frequently. Team boss Jean-Paul Driot stepped in and gave Magnussen a dressing down, telling him that he had to work with the team, not against it, or this campaign was not going to work out. Admittedly, the burden of expectation on Magnussen was high. It was his second year in the championship and he was expected to outperform rookie and fellow McLaren junior Vandoorne, who was racing for Fortec. Ultimately, Magnussen won the championship fairly convincingly, beating Vandoorne by 60 points, but only after the Driot talking-to. "Kevin is a strong character, so it was not easy in the beginning," said Driot. "He was a little bit stubborn in the way he worked. "We have some strong personalities as well, but we opened up and he understood that we were here to help him, not work against him. "After that it built up very nicely during the year and you can see the results." Renault took its time working out its driver plan for 2017, which did not impress Magnussen. He wanted to stay and even extended the deadline for renewing his contract after the team's option on him expired, in the hope a deal could be reached. An offer of a one-year deal followed but it was deemed "not good enough". If the outfit had committed to a longer contract, Magnussen admitted he would have taken it "much more seriously". Once again, Magnussen felt unloved. That perceived lack of commitment perhaps informed Renault's delay in making a decision, and this, coupled with the long list of drivers linked with the seat - "I think at one point the Pope had an offer," said Magnussen at the time - led him finally to conclude enough was enough. Haas showed interest and Magnussen signed on the dotted line. That treatment by Renault could explain his drop in form. Perhaps when he realised he was leaving, his motivation dropped. But there's no real excuse for that and it will not endear him to other team bosses in the paddock. A senior source expressed confidence Magnussen would be a good fit for Haas. When asked about the comments made by some inside his former teams regarding his work ethic, the source had no real concerns based on their experience with Magnussen. Haas is a very different operation to what the Dane has experienced before. McLaren and Renault were far bigger entities that were also established in F1. Haas couldn't be more different. And while Magnussen may have felt unloved at those first two teams, Haas has gone out of its way to make him feel at home. The 24-year old has confidence that owner Gene Haas and team principal Gunther Steiner really rate him, and he considers his multi-year deal as very public evidence of that. That backing might be what is required to unlock his potential. "It's a different feeling coming to a team that wants you and signed you because they think you can deliver something they want," he tells Autosport. "It's motivating, there's no secret it motivates you. I can't wait for the season to start. I hope we will have a good future together." But now that he has an environment he's seemingly happy with, there will be nowhere to hide if it doesn't work out. Magnussen has shown on track that he is quick. In 2014, up against 2009 world champion Jenson Button, he was ultimately only edged out in the intra-team qualifying battle 10-9. Not bad for a rookie. He also finished on the podium on his debut, a feat only 16 other drivers in the history of F1 have achieved. Second in the 2014 Australian Grand Prix was the best opening race performance by a rookie since Lewis Hamilton finished third at the same venue in 2007, though Magnussen inherited the position because of others being disqualified. Magnussen will look back at his time at McLaren as a missed opportunity. There was a feeling he focused too much on beating Button, rather than his own performance. As it emerged he would have to battle it out with Button for a seat alongside Fernando Alonso the following year, the pressure started to tell - just as it would do at Renault. Magnussen will need to hit the ground running at Haas and prove once and for all that he has what it takes to belong in F1. That will not be an easy task, given Romain Grosjean performed strongly last year, scoring all of Haas's 29 points to help the team finish eighth in the constructors' championship. But Magnussen fancies his chances, pointing to a simpler structure and a smaller team that he feels will suit him much better. "Haas have a very clear structure, it's a smaller team and the structure and responsibilities are spread out in a very clear way," he said. "You have a closer relationship to a bigger percentage of the team as there aren't so many staff. "At McLaren, there's no way you can have a close relationship with everyone but at Haas, it's a bit more pure, a bit more clear. "It's pretty straightforward the way it works, and very efficient. It's an exciting programme that can grow a lot. It's clear how the team wants to work, they want to be open and honest about everything, which is the way I like to work. "There is a lot of potential, that excites me a lot. I'm looking forward to it. I've only just turned 24, so I have time on my hands. "As a young driver, it's good to grow with the team. Hopefully I have found a team that I can stay with for longer than one year and grow together." Magnussen is saying all the right things and does have youth on his side. This could well be the fresh start that he needs. But F1 does not really do second chances and Magnussen has already had his. His deal with Haas is his third shot. So if he can't kick the bad habits that have afflicted him throughout his racing career, this could well be Magnussen's last hurrah. |
By Lawrence Barretto | |
F1 Reporter |
"I had a better offer from Haas," is how Kevin Magnussen describes his reason for signing for the American team on a multi-year deal. It sounds like a straightforward decision. But this will be his third full season in F1 with a third different team, which is unusual in modern grand prix racing. McLaren did not work out. Neither did Renault. So what makes him think this experience will be any different? McLaren gave Magnussen the boot via email on his 23rd birthday in October 2015. It was a brutal way for the team to communicate its decision, and a real blow to his F1 prospects. Stoffel Vandoorne, who lost out to Magnussen in the battle for the 2013 Formula Renault 3.5 title, had also emerged as McLaren's preferred future option. And after a year spent doing very little (since McLaren had taken too long to sanction a race programme alongside his reserve duties), Magnussen found himself no longer required and with very little time to find an alternative. With the grid all but complete for 2016, Magnussen's F1 hopes hung by a thread. But he was handed a lifeline when Pastor Maldonado's long-time sponsor PDVSA, Venezuela's state-owned oil and gas company, had a disagreement with Renault, which was in the process of making Lotus its works team, and the contract was ultimately dissolved. Renault got on the phone and offered Magnussen a second chance, a rarity in F1. The Dane was grateful, relieved and determined to make the most of it. Magnussen was the stronger of the two race drivers in the first half of the 2016 season, which peaked with an unlikely seventh place in Russia, and his performances were made to look even better given team-mate Jolyon Palmer's struggles. But then Palmer found his way and, rather than kicking on, Magnussen failed to respond. While Magnussen was 11-4 up in qualifying three quarters of the way into the season, Palmer reduced the deficit to 11-8 by the end. The Briton finished ahead in five of the final six qualifying sessions, Mexico being an anomaly since he did not take part because of chassis damage. Palmer also scored a point in Malaysia and edged Magnussen 3-1 when both cars finished in the final six races. Scoring a point in Singapore, having gone the whole race without being able to drink any water in 30C heat and high humidity, proved what Magnussen can do. But that was only a flash. And ultimately, at a time of the year when contracts are discussed, Palmer delivered and Magnussen did not. Sources at Renault were questioning his work ethic, something that insiders at McLaren also hinted at following his time in Woking. It is believed that when at McLaren, Magnussen would work hard to reach a certain level of tyre understanding and once he hit that, he would feel he knew enough about it and would stop engaging with his team. In F1, you cannot survive with that attitude. Friction with teams had been a factor in Magnussen's junior career too. Magnussen switched from Carlin to DAMS ahead of the 2013 FR3.5 season, and the relationship worked well during the winter. But once the season started, Magnussen and his engineer clashed frequently. Team boss Jean-Paul Driot stepped in and gave Magnussen a dressing down, telling him that he had to work with the team, not against it, or this campaign was not going to work out. Admittedly, the burden of expectation on Magnussen was high. It was his second year in the championship and he was expected to outperform rookie and fellow McLaren junior Vandoorne, who was racing for Fortec. Ultimately, Magnussen won the championship fairly convincingly, beating Vandoorne by 60 points, but only after the Driot talking-to. "Kevin is a strong character, so it was not easy in the beginning," said Driot. "He was a little bit stubborn in the way he worked. "We have some strong personalities as well, but we opened up and he understood that we were here to help him, not work against him. "After that it built up very nicely during the year and you can see the results." Renault took its time working out its driver plan for 2017, which did not impress Magnussen. He wanted to stay and even extended the deadline for renewing his contract after the team's option on him expired, in the hope a deal could be reached. An offer of a one-year deal followed but it was deemed "not good enough". If the outfit had committed to a longer contract, Magnussen admitted he would have taken it "much more seriously". Once again, Magnussen felt unloved. That perceived lack of commitment perhaps informed Renault's delay in making a decision, and this, coupled with the long list of drivers linked with the seat - "I think at one point the Pope had an offer," said Magnussen at the time - led him finally to conclude enough was enough. Haas showed interest and Magnussen signed on the dotted line. That treatment by Renault could explain his drop in form. Perhaps when he realised he was leaving, his motivation dropped. But there's no real excuse for that and it will not endear him to other team bosses in the paddock. A senior source expressed confidence Magnussen would be a good fit for Haas. When asked about the comments made by some inside his former teams regarding his work ethic, the source had no real concerns based on their experience with Magnussen. Haas is a very different operation to what the Dane has experienced before. McLaren and Renault were far bigger entities that were also established in F1. Haas couldn't be more different. And while Magnussen may have felt unloved at those first two teams, Haas has gone out of its way to make him feel at home. The 24-year old has confidence that owner Gene Haas and team principal Gunther Steiner really rate him, and he considers his multi-year deal as very public evidence of that. That backing might be what is required to unlock his potential. "It's a different feeling coming to a team that wants you and signed you because they think you can deliver something they want," he tells Autosport. "It's motivating, there's no secret it motivates you. I can't wait for the season to start. I hope we will have a good future together." But now that he has an environment he's seemingly happy with, there will be nowhere to hide if it doesn't work out. Magnussen has shown on track that he is quick. In 2014, up against 2009 world champion Jenson Button, he was ultimately only edged out in the intra-team qualifying battle 10-9. Not bad for a rookie. He also finished on the podium on his debut, a feat only 16 other drivers in the history of F1 have achieved. Second in the 2014 Australian Grand Prix was the best opening race performance by a rookie since Lewis Hamilton finished third at the same venue in 2007, though Magnussen inherited the position because of others being disqualified. Magnussen will look back at his time at McLaren as a missed opportunity. There was a feeling he focused too much on beating Button, rather than his own performance. As it emerged he would have to battle it out with Button for a seat alongside Fernando Alonso the following year, the pressure started to tell - just as it would do at Renault. Magnussen will need to hit the ground running at Haas and prove once and for all that he has what it takes to belong in F1. That will not be an easy task, given Romain Grosjean performed strongly last year, scoring all of Haas's 29 points to help the team finish eighth in the constructors' championship. But Magnussen fancies his chances, pointing to a simpler structure and a smaller team that he feels will suit him much better. "Haas have a very clear structure, it's a smaller team and the structure and responsibilities are spread out in a very clear way," he said. "You have a closer relationship to a bigger percentage of the team as there aren't so many staff. "At McLaren, there's no way you can have a close relationship with everyone but at Haas, it's a bit more pure, a bit more clear. "It's pretty straightforward the way it works, and very efficient. It's an exciting programme that can grow a lot. It's clear how the team wants to work, they want to be open and honest about everything, which is the way I like to work. "There is a lot of potential, that excites me a lot. I'm looking forward to it. I've only just turned 24, so I have time on my hands. "As a young driver, it's good to grow with the team. Hopefully I have found a team that I can stay with for longer than one year and grow together." Magnussen is saying all the right things and does have youth on his side. This could well be the fresh start that he needs. But F1 does not really do second chances and Magnussen has already had his. His deal with Haas is his third shot. So if he can't kick the bad habits that have afflicted him throughout his racing career, this could well be Magnussen's last hurrah. |