Magnussen retired unnecessarily in Australia

2017 Australian Grand Prix

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A misdiagnosed technical problem led Kevin Magnussen to retire unnecessarily in the Australian Grand Prix, his team have confirmed.

The Haas driver pulled out of the season-opening race with 11 laps to go after reporting a suspension failure on his VF-17. However inspection of his car after the race revealed the real cause of his retirement was a front-right puncture.

Magnussen had asked the team whether to bring the car back to the pits and was told “stop the car where you are”. It later transpired he could have brought the car into the pits for a replacement tyre.

The team’s new driver was running in 15th place at the time following his first-lap collision with Marcus Ericsson. The team’s other car belonging to Romain Grosjean had already dropped out following a sudden loss of power.

Magnussen said it is his priority to reach the chequered flag in China next week.

“The most important thing is to finish the race, otherwise you get nothing out of anything,” he said.

He said he is pleased the team’s car is “as competitive as we had hoped for” but admitted “there’s obviously no guarantee it’s going to be as competitive again” in Shanghai.

“We need to work hard to get the most out of it and make it competitive again in China. The car was there, it was performing, it was just on my side I had a bit of a tough weekend.”

“I didn’t get enough track time and there were too many issues with reliability that meant I didn’t have a good weekend. It’s positive, though, that the car is competitive.”

2017 Australian Grand Prix

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    Keith Collantine
    Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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    24 comments on “Magnussen retired unnecessarily in Australia”

    1. Shame – one more car in the mix could have created action elseware – we’ll never know – but you also have to see the funy side to this :):)

    2. See we aren’t unreliable just incompetent….

    3. Considering the safety of the other drivers and in order not to compromise anyone else’s race, Haas made the correct call. F1 is clearly a step too far for Magnussen.

      1. I agree. I don’t know how did he managed to stay in f1 after failing to beat JB, barely beat Palmer and now he made a decision of his own and effectively chose to retire, no f1 driver chooses to retire, all want to race.

        1. The team told him to stop the car, and he did. You do what your team tells you.

        2. Did you read the article?

          1. Or for that matter, the radio transcript? (Check out lap 52…)

    4. Signing him in the first place wasn’t necessary so it all seems fine.

      Blokes a joke.

    5. Magnussen, Palmer bring nothing to F1 just like their fathers. I reserve judgement for Stroll though by summer break he should prove he belongs here. Ericsson is the least skilled driver that should race in F1.

      1. phillip ramirez
        31st March 2017, 22:44

        canuck? lol

      2. How can you really tell who the least skilled driver is unless they’re all in identical cars?

      3. Did you check up on Jan Magnussen recently? He is the most winning European driver ever! Was the winner last week in 12 hours race in a Corvette…and he never got a chance in the Stuart Ford as it broke down every race in F1…

    6. Magnussen’s dad isn’t a joke at all. His f1 career wasn’t the best but what he has done over the years for corvette racing has been top notch

      1. uh…where were the tyre pressure sensors??

    7. An F1 American team..a joke!

      1. That “joke” as you call it, made quite a few points last year from a team that came from scratch. It wasn’t bought from a team already established, like most teams out there. Why would it matter where a team comes from? There is a team out there that would have the “Jana Gana Mana (Indian national anthem)” be played if that team had won.
        I would think in such a global sport as F1 you wouldn’t be so judgemental. Pity it is.

    8. Ben (@chookie6018)
      1st April 2017, 3:29

      I can’t be the only one who just thinks KMag isn’t good enough. If he keeps these poor standards up through to the summer break surely we’ll hear rumours of Giovanazzi’s especially after how successful he was at Australia.

      1. Actually they are very satisfied with his test data in Barcelona – and he got the 7. Fastest lap in Australia! And had best 1. Sector in the qualify before he hit the dirt in 2.sector.. give him some air – he will return..

    9. I can say only only word – LOL!

    10. I can say only one word – LOL!

    11. I can say only one word – LOL! Haas

    12. That cannot have been a pleasant thing for Haas to admit, but I appreciate their honesty.

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