Kevin Magnussen said he is still struggling to master Haas’ VF-23 chassis over a single flying lap after another disappointing performance in qualifying at the Hungaroring.
The Haas driver will start today’s race on the back row of the grid. His team mate Nico Hulkenberg reached Q3 yesterday and will line up in tenth.Over 11 race weekends this season, Magnussen has out-qualified his team mate just twice. Hulkenberg put his car on the front row of the grid in Canada.
Magnussen enjoyed much better performances in qualifying last year. He capitalised on damp conditions to claim pole position for the sprint race at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
He admitted he is yet “to find consistency with this car” and feels it works against his natural driving style.
“For some reason I’m struggling a bit on low fuel and new tyres to extract the maximum out of the car,” he told media including RaceFans. “There’s lots of inconsistency for me.”
“It’s almost like my usual strengths have become my weaknesses in this car, so it’s a bit difficult,” he explained. “I think it’s my inherent driving styles and trends that are working against me at the moment with the specific limitations of the car.
“Nico is obviously seeming to extract more out of the car on one lap, new tyres.”
However Magnussen is happier with his performance over race distances, where he is still faring better against his team mate. Although he is seven points behind Hulkenberg in the championship, Magnussen has more top 10 finishes this season.
“The long run pace for me is a bit of a different story,” said Magnussen. “I seem to be okay there. So it’s a bit of a confusing one, but I’ll work on it.”
“I’ve never had this kind of issue,” he added. “But I’m sure we can fix it.”
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Stephen Crowsen (@drycrust)
23rd July 2023, 8:45
You need to perfect your technique for driving the car in those circumstances. Try to spend more time in the simulator, and be more strict with yourself.