Kevin Magnussen, Haas, Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, 2022

Magnussen says Hamilton collision comment was made “in the heat of the moment”

2022 Spanish Grand Prix

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Kevin Magnussen says he meant nothing by his comments about Lewis Hamilton on the radio after the pair tangled at the start of the Spanish Grand Prix.

The two collided at turn four on the first lap of the race as Magnussen attempted to overtake Hamilton around the outside of the corner. “He knew what he was doing, he just rammed me,” fumed Magnussen on the radio after the contact.

Magnussen downplayed his reaction after the race. “Of course you’re always pissed off in the heat of the moment,” he said. “I’ll go and watch it again, see what happens and then move on.”

He went on to finish 17th, which was his third point-less finish in four races. Magnussen said he exclaimed out of “frustration that I was out of the race.”

“You say whatever you say, and then you go and look at it and it’s often a different story,” he added.

After qualifying inside the top 10, Magnussen said he had missed out on a points-scoring opportunity.

“We qualified eighth, looks like we had a faster car than a lot of cars to score points today, so of course we’re frustrated,” he said. “But we’ll sleep on it and then move on to the next one.”

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2022 Spanish 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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61 comments on “Magnussen says Hamilton collision comment was made “in the heat of the moment””

  1. This incident & the one Hamilton-Albon one in the 2020 Austrian GP share slight similarities, but the key difference is the former didn’t understeer into K-Mag as he did to Albon.
    He barely made any steering movement through the corner. Therefore, all on K-Mag.
    However, the racing incident call was ultimately fair.

    1. They had nothing in common. In Austria it was on corner exit and they touched front-to-rear, in Barca it was on corner entry and they touched front to front. I don’t know why you’re bringing Austria up. And if it was all on KMag, which it was, then I don’t know why you call it a racing incident either.

      It’s good KMag is back-pedalling on the ‘on purpose’ thing at least.

    2. Watch the front tyres right before contact. His tyres straighten for a split second giving him another trajectory, which then puts him in Magnussens path.

      1. LOL!! So we’re now expecting an F1 driver at, what, 150mph, to keep a perfect path – as if it’s driven by those aids you get on the playstation ‘easy’ settings?

        The question is why was K-mag so far to the right anyway. There was plenty of room for two cars as Max and George would show a few laps later.

        But it was a correct decision.

      2. It’s simply not true that he straightens the wheel before the contact. That’s an absolute fabrication.

        1. petebaldwin (@)
          23rd May 2022, 17:29

          Yeah he doesn’t straighten the wheel at all. He understeers a little bit so I guess that’s why it was called a racing incident but Magnussen also moved across the track and left Hamilton hardly any space. Any understeer (on cold tyres and with a heavy car) and there would be contact.

          I think they probably got the call right overall but Magnussen should have left more space.

      3. You need to go watch onboard from following car. Hamilton is following line of car infront and Magnussen closes distance from his car to the apex.
        Magnussen just took a really aggressive line and ended up hitting Hamilton steering. It’s a miracle the car wasn’t damaged more considering the speed and energy from the contact.
        To those that say Hamilton missed Apex. Every car from p1- the cars behind all run 1-2foot wide of apex in that corner on something known as the racing line.

      4. Looks like Hamilton/Verstappen derangement syndrome is just as rife as ever

      5. Indeed. There is footage in Instagram where it is clear that the two cars in front if Lewis touch or almost touch the apex, whereas Hamilton once again is not near. Sure there is enough room for Kevin, but if Lewis made the same racing line as the two cars in front of him they wouldn’t have touched. Still a first lap incident but not very nice nor clever with a car on your left through a fast right hander. Some guys just don’t permit being overtaken around the outside. Instinctively probably. No intention to call it deliberate.

        1. MingTheMercyless
          24th May 2022, 21:24

          I’d call it ‘Involuntary Understeer Syndrom’, it’s a chronic condition in Lewis’ case..

    3. Ultimately Ham hit Mag but it is racing. I’m happy that for once this season the race direction/stewards made the logical, right call, it was not the only great logical call or rather no call they made. the russell/max battle was perfectly fine, I’d like to think the no call would have stayed had russell been attacking max instead.

  2. Glad to read Magnussen has changed his views on what happened after watching it from the outside. Yes, in the heat of the moment people say stuff, partly defensive talk to hope the stewards look into it too, but once they calm down a bit, there is time to be more realistic.

    Here Hamilton really did not do much wrong (maybe he could have stayed more to the inside of the curve, but not sure that is reasonable to expect), while Kevin just turned in far too much given that there was a car there.

    1. Kevin just turned in far too much given that there was a car there.

      This confuses me….
      There was a car width plus some inside Magnussen’s car, which was mostly filled with Hamilton’s car.
      The gap between Magnussen and the kerb stayed about the same throughout, leaving well over a car’s width.
      But you state that Magnussen turned in too much…?

      I guess this is how some people convinced themselves that Verstappen ‘turned in too much’ at Silverstone too.

      1. The fact is that there was more room for Magnussen to keep to the left.

        Literally 20 laps later we saw Russell and Verstappen actually racing each other around the same bend and not even get close to touching.

        I’m confused why anyone think, it was realistically possible for Hamilton to keep further right – when it was clear that K-Mag could easily have kept more to the left.

        And I’m glad you mentioned Silverstone, because I don’t recall anyone blaming Max solely for the crash – rather that he should have had the sense to yield, given he was already (was it 33?) points ahead. Let’s face it that was blamed on Hamilton because he was more at fault and the outcome was so severe. Of course you had to forget the fact that Massi had said “outcomes” weren’t considered – the first of many of his contradictions, as we would find out later!!

        1. The fact is that there was more room for Magnussen to keep to the left.

          That’s true, of course – but he only has to leave a car width to be within the rules, @banbrorace.

          later we saw Russell and Verstappen actually racing each other around the same bend and not even get close to touching.

          Yes… No Hamilton….

          I’m confused why anyone think, it was realistically possible for Hamilton to keep further right

          Because there was sufficient space on the right, and there was a car to his left. All he has to do is back off a little to avoid washing out and making contact.

          And I’m glad you mentioned Silverstone, because I don’t recall anyone blaming Max solely for the crash

          Head back to the articles from the time – there were plenty of people saying exactly that. In fact, some still do now every opportunity they get.
          Sometimes people only see what they want to see.

          Of course you had to forget the fact that Massi had said “outcomes” weren’t considered

          It was an incident, regardless of the outcome. Diving up the inside so recklessly at such a high speed corner is not a safe move – regardless of when, where or who is involved.
          You seem to forget that most of the ‘contradictions’ were from the stewards, and not from the Race Director.

      2. petebaldwin (@)
        23rd May 2022, 17:33

        Magnussen left just about enough space but he put himself in a position where the tiniest amount of understeer from Hamilton would mean contact. It was a stupid move that totally screwed up his own race.

      3. His projection was not keeping his distance but slowly steered into Lewis as i see the onboard. I can’t see Lewis onboard to see what happened. They said a Racing incident and so far i agree with that.

      4. To: S,
        Yes, one of Hamilton’s super skills, pushing over-takers off, and then crying, “He drove into me!”
        Just ask Nico Rosberg.

  3. OK so a question: if you’re making a pass on the inside, it’s now legitimate to push the other driver off the track entirely so long as you stay on it. But if you make a pass on the outside, for some reason I can’t fathom, the driver on the inside is – beyond leaving a car width – now supposed by many punters, based perhaps on FIA decisions, to have to stay tucked into the inside corner and effectively cede the nice bit of track and/or racing line. Why? Surely it’s up to the driver on the outside to use the track left available, not presume it’s their corner and expect the inside driver to make way if they’re ahead going into the corner? For me Magnussen was fully responsible for the incident and should have been penalized, opening lap or otherwise.

    1. Nobody has the right to presume that it’s ‘their corner’ as they are both racing for it, @david-br.
      That’s kinda a big part of the definition of racing…. As in: racing together…..

      Interestingly, for me Hamilton was more to blame in this particular racing incident, as yet again he has moved outwards to where another car already is – regardless of when it got there.
      We saw Bottas and Verstappen in similar positions at turn 12 later on, and Bottas managed to accept that there was a car outside. Both made it through cleanly without contact, as the inside car didn’t just blindly drift (or aggressively squeeze) outwards.

      1. You’ve said absolutely nothing about the point I was making. If it’s OK to force another car off track while making a pass on the inside, then clearly the driver on the inside isn’t ‘racing together’ at all, right? They’re claiming the corner entirely, leaving no space. Last season saw that ‘rule’ more or less clarified after Brazil: the driver on the inside has to stay on track (while shoving the other driver off). By contrast, if Hamilton leaves room for Magnussen, he’s not presuming it’s ‘his corner’ precisely because he has left room. The only presumption is that he doesn’t have to cede the bit of track (clean/faster line out) both drivers want. If he’s there first, surely that’s his bit of track. Magnussen thought otherwise and they collided.

        1. Uh…
          I’m strongly against crowding anyone off the circuit, @david-br. Doing so definitely warrants a penalty in most circumstances, IMO. If both cars remain on the track (as defined by the regs) then fair enough – that’s racing.
          The FIA makes many strange decisions – influenced in no small part by teams requesting certain interpretations, as was the case most famously over the last couple of years.
          They are tightening things up a little, but they are still far from the wording of their own regulations in many instances.

          The middle of your comment makes sense, up until:

          The only presumption is that he doesn’t have to cede the bit of track (clean/faster line out)

          which implies that one driver is more entitled to the racing line than the other – which isn’t (or shouldn’t) be the case. They are equal until one is completely ahead of the other.

          If he’s there first, surely that’s his bit of track. Magnussen thought otherwise and they collided.

          But he wasn’t there first – they were there together, overlapping. Racing.
          Remember that contact involved both cars front wheels, so Magnussen could not possibly be behind.
          They collided because neither driver gave up position – but the onus is always on the inside driver to not understeer into the outside car. Loss of control is not an acceptable excuse for contact.

      2. LOL!! So Hamilton not keeping within 5mm of the inside line, means that he’s at fault – but K-Mag having acres of room on the left is irrelevant?

      3. Hamilton did not move outwards towards magnussen… Magnussen moved inwards towards Hamilton! Magnussen had tons of room to his left and should.habe used it, going that close to anyone around a corner like that is asking for trouble as it is not uncommon for a car to slip sideways a little whe.cornering no matter how much the driver is trying to keep.his line. Lewis did nothing wrong at all.

        1. I saw the onboard from Schumacher, you can clearly see Hamilton sliding away from the curbs. Not saying it his fault, but he did mo e to mag a bot.

      4. Michael (@freelittlebirds)
        23rd May 2022, 18:15

        @S Let me guess, you believe that Hamilton is also to blame for Silverstone last season, right?

        1. Well, he was.

          1. nope, racing incident.

        2. @freelittlebirds
          He was completely at fault.
          If you hit another cars rear wheel with your front wheel on a public road you would be at fault there too. The responsibility is on the driver behind with a clearer view of things, to do that at Copse and endanger another driver was just plain reckless. I’m so glad he didn’t win the title after Silverstone. Check Mick’s onboard of the lap 1 incident in Spain too, Lewis’ front end clearly changes direction and connects with MAG. Racing incident, NOT KMAG’s fault.

          1. Michael (@freelittlebirds)
            24th May 2022, 13:46

            @glenj the responsibility is on the driver behind with a clear view of things

            It’s the first I’ve heard of this one. Why do you guys bother watching F1?

            Lewis, what was your view at the moment? Could you not see his wheel turning toward you as if you weren’t there? Couldn’t you see him in your front view mirror? Clearly you gave him space but could you not have given him the entire track? Not just on the corner but throughout the season? Have you checked with Toto to see if he’ll be ok with you not racing so Max can have the entire track?

            You’re right, Horner and Albon showed in Forza Horizon that you can’t take that corner in the Mercedes at that speed! And that was Forza Horizon 4 which takes place in England and therefore is an accurate simulation!!! If you have any doubts, Checo can do the same in Forza Horizon 5 which takes place in Mexico. Max braked even later and was going faster but let’s focus on the facts. There was only one car that shouldn’t have been there. Forget about the human torpedo.

        3. Also @ the one saying racing incident, I guess 10 sec penalties are given for racing incidents then…

        4. Of course I do, because he was, @freelittlebirds.

      5. S, no surprises there that you’re saying it’s Hamilton’s fault – given you’ve made it clear repeatedly that you also have a strong personal dislike of him, you’d have decided that it was his fault whether he was on the inside, or if he had been in Magnussen’s place and done what Magnussen did.

        1. I have expressed no personal opinion of Hamilton at all, anon. I’ve never met him and never care to.
          I’m looking at this racing incident, and also taking into consideration all the other things he’s got up to over the years in F1.

          What you’ve just expressed is your personal opinion – but you know nothing of me whatsoever.
          Only some words on a website that may or may not reflect the real me.

          Just for clarity – if it had been anyone else in the exact same circumstances, my opinion would be exactly the same.
          I care not for the who – only the what, why, how, when and where.

          1. Your last sentence is absolutely hilarious… 🤪🤪

            You might wish to consider the car behind hit the car in fronts wheel at the rear. In other words not an exact wheel to wheel but one driver on the racing line was run into by another whom took the incredibly risk move of squeezing someone tight. On a first lap where cars, particularly these naturally understeering cars may slide.

            Any attempt around the outside of another car is always high risk.

            Have a little run in something other than a day time kart and see how well your thoughtful analysis technique works for you.

            An idiotic move of which he has made dozens in his career from the very start. Usually against team mates starting near him.

            But no, you don’t consider the who, just the what how why where and when…

            And still got it wrong.

          2. Your whole post is hilarious @drgraham.

            Hamilton understeered (again) – that’s not Magnussen’s fault. There isn’t a sensible, unbiased and experienced racing driver in the world who will say Hamilton is completely free of responsibility in this.
            I have no interest in sharing my racing experience with you, but I certainly know what understeer is, and also that it’s deemed to be a loss of control by race stewards when an incident results from it. Should I also note that the most effective way to arrest understeer is to lift off, shifting weight back onto the front axle?
            But you already know all that stuff too, right?
            So you also know that the responsibility to avoid contact rests on the inside driver not losing control of his vehicle, right…
            The driver on the outside only needs to leave a car width – and if that’s all they choose to leave, then that’s all the guy on the inside can take. It’s not the greatest racing etiquette around, but it’s not illegal either.

  4. Hamilton is ahead going into the turn, on the racing line and on the inside of the bend, how it’s his fault in any way is hard to fathom.

    There are multiple lines for that corner too, some drivers take a tight line, others run wide.

    Was this even investigated?

    1. Was this even investigated?

      Because it was an incident.

      Questions were justified as to the actions of each driver. Neither was found to be predominantly or wholly to blame – though that doesn’t mean that neither was guilty.

  5. In relation to Magnussen’s initial comments – he’s still right. It’s fair to expect that Hamilton did know what he was doing.
    Was it a deliberate attempt to cause contact? I don’t think so as that would certainly be self-endangering – but that’s not how the comment sounded anyway.
    However, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t an attempt to squeeze Magnussen off into the grey.
    Quite a risk to take on the first lap, really. Back off a little, keep a tight line and survive the corner without incident is usually a better plan.

    1. So it’s now a risk to be tight on the inside line and drift slightly, because the driver attempting the overtake doesn’t have to leave any space anymore?

      1. @banbrorace It’s complete nonsense, though perhaps down to some dodgy stewarding decisions in the past where the driver inside is supposed to stick to the apex. Why can’t they take a line that forces the overtaking driver out wide? I mean, not even off track, just enough room? It has to be the overtaking outside drivers responsibility not to turn in and cause a collision, especially if they’re behind still halfway though the corner and beyond (as K-Mag was).
        At the same time, a driver making an inside pass is given every leeway, to the extent of forcing the other driver off as long as when lunging (a la Max last year) they stay on themselves. I’m presuming this clear discrepancy (bias) is down to favouring overtaking in general, the defending driver is more restricted in both cases. That’s rather than presuming that it’s to do with the drivers involved in the incidents.

      2. Magnussen left sufficient space, @banbrorace.

    2. What did he deliberately do? He kept on the inside of the corner all the way to the point magnussen hit him! If you mean he deliberately drove around the corner than I would agree as I’d did not appear to be an accident that he was on the track in an F1 car… Apart from that I am not sure what on earth he could have done to prevent the incident. Magnussen however had loads of options to avoid the incident…

  6. I never hold anything bad drivers say in the cockpit againts them, especially after a crash or tangle. You are in a tough, super stressful situation while also not necessarily having all the information. Your first instinct is to always lash out.

  7. Hamilton seems to understeer slightly, judging by his onboard camera he’s maybe 20-30cm off. Considering he had medium tyres, it’s not exactly unexpected.

    Magnussen made a risky move and left basically no margin for error. He did it in a corner where Hamilton did make a minor mistake. Had Hamilton not understeered in turn 4, the move would have been incredibly close.

    There’s a great example from both Hamilton and Sainz a couple of laps earlier. On turn 2, Hamilton goes around Sainz and leaves almost half a meter of extra room. Then, Sainz overtakes Hamilton on the outside of turn 3, also leaving a healthy amount of room, which is immediately proven the right move since Hamilton has a bit of oversteer and needs to correct, going a bit wider than his initial line.

  8. Michael (@freelittlebirds)
    23rd May 2022, 18:46

    Silly overtake and execution by Magnussen – he ruined his race and nearly ruined Lewis’. I’m not sure what the upside there was.

    You’d think Kevin’s experience would have taught him to not go all-in when you’re planning to fold on the next card.

    Right Guenther?

    1. Watch Mick’s onboard behind them in slow motion, there is only one car which deviates from their line and that is the Merc. You can see it move away from the apex just before the collision.
      I’ve posted the link here a couple of times but it keeps getting removed.

      1. Look at Hamilton’s onboard and you see he doesn’t deviate from his line.

        1. MingTheMercyless
          24th May 2022, 21:36

          If you close your eyes, you can’t see it either. That’s no argument.
          From Mick’s onboard you can clearly see Ham moving away from the apex into MAG.

        2. Watch Leclerc’s onboard and you don’t even see it happen. What is everyone talking about?!?!

  9. After Latifi in Bahrain, i think there will be more minows and ankle biters looking to take a chomp out of the bigger fish. They must know their only chance for points, or even to be noticed is to engineer a clash with the bigger names.

  10. Reaction in the heat for the moment, totally comprehensible.
    But Magnussen left no room for error, put his race (and Hamilton’s) at risk. Cold tyres, full tank, a bit of understeer or oversteer is to be expected. Always leave some precautionary margin to survive lap 1.

  11. Minor misjudgement of MAG in the heat of the start led to the crash. Such things just happen.

    Very professionell he clarified his initial accusations. Some other bully driver could have said ‘thats what happens when you dont leave me enough space’. Good that many drivers have higher ethics than that.

  12. Hamilton leaving more than a car’s width on the outside and people want him penalized. Last year, Brazil, Max is 2 car widths past the outside line and nothing.

  13. @S rgd. all the nonsense stated in the many comments of yours above, here an excerpt of the FIA overtaking guidelines:

    ///The FIA says that the requirement for a driver being overtaken to give “sufficient room” becomes active when “a significant portion” of the attacking car is alongside, with the same requirement for the manoeuvre to be safe and controlled.

    The definition of “significant portion” again remains not precise but it does define that one factor considered will be “if the overtaking car is ahead of the other car from the apex of the corner”.///

    Did you see MAG in front at the Apex? Did you see the overtake executed in a save way? Did you see the overtaken car (HAM) not leaving enough room?

    Its not about the inside car has to yield and drive around corners on the most inside line possible. Really weird to have such an opinion.

    1. That’s great and all, but I think we can safely say that a significant portion of Magnussen’s car was alongside Hamilton, @romtrain.
      It was front wheel to front wheel contact, after all….

      Other series have tried to pinpoint a specific amount of overlap for such scenarios in the past, and it simply doesn’t work. Which is exactly why the FIA won’t do it for F1 either.

      Did you see MAG in front at the Apex? Did you see the overtake executed in a save way? Did you see the overtaken car (HAM) not leaving enough room?

      Which apex? There are multiple places on such a long corner that can be used as the apex.
      From Magnussen’s driving, yes it was executed in a safe manner. Not so much From Hamilton.
      And no, clearly Hamilton didn’t leave enough room, because he understeered into Magnussen’s car.

      I’ve never stated “the inside car has to yield.” But I am stating the fact that the inside car can’t just understeer or wash out into the outside car. If they have to slow down to avoid contact, then that’s just what they have to do. That’s racing.
      It’s no different to pressuring competitors across the track at any other part of the circuit. If they don’t go, the car that is moving off line is responsible for that contact.
      In this instance, that was Hamilton.

      1. I didnt see much of an understeer, and to not leave any room between the cars for sure is no execution of the overtake in a safe manner. Also HAM was in front and the overtaken car. He clearly doesnt have to slow down, as long as he leaves a cars width on the outside.

        I bet you also argued that the divebombs of VER were ok last year (maybe apart from Brazil where every two year old would have judged the situation correctly).

        1. Watch Schumacher’s onboard. Hamilton indisputably understeers right before contact.
          Interesting take on it…. Contact should not be punished if there is a car’s width outside….. I’ll try to remember that one.

          I don’t think I did argue in favour of Verstappen, unless I thought he was right to do whatever he did.
          I’m not for or against any particular driver overall. Only on a per-incident basis.

      2. And rgd apex – MAG was nowhere in front, so no matter where you define the apex to be.

        1. Probably because they hadn’t got to the ‘apex’ yet…. The incident was pretty early in the corner.

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