Today’s announcement by Haas confirms Kevin Magnussen will start just 12 more grands prix for them before moving on at the end of the season.
These may be the final half-dozen rounds of Magnussen’s Formula 1 career. And he embarks upon them knowing he is at greater risk of collecting a ban than anyone.Magnussen has amassed 10 penalty points on his licence in the space of just five rounds earlier this year. Since then he’s felt at risk of collecting a ban for “a very minor thing.”
Three of Magnussen’s penalties came for collisions involving other drivers. He was also, unusually, given three penalty points for repeatedly leaving the track and gaining an advantage while trying to keep Lewis Hamilton behind him during the sprint race in Miami.
Max Verstappen, Fernando Alonso and Magnussen’s team mate Nico Hulkenberg each picked up two penalty points for incidents in Austria. Esteban Ocon had the same in Monaco.
All those were for collisions or incidents involving other drivers. But speaking at the previous round Magnussen said the threat of a ban won’t make any difference to how he approaches wheel-to-wheel racing.
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“It doesn’t make sense,” said Magnussen in response to a question from RaceFans. “I have this situation for the rest of the year.”
“I have to just go and race as best as I can, to my best ability and not change anything because of that situation,” he explained. “I think that’s going to be better overall over the season than holding back all the time, making sure that I don’t get a race ban.
“It’s better to just go for it and then if I get a race ban, I get a race ban.”
It remains to be seen whether Magnussen will be able to find a place with another Formula 1 team next year. This isn’t the first time his F1 career has seemingly reached an end: Haas dropped him at the end of 2020, following which he raced in IMSA and also made a one-off appearance for McLaren in IndyCar.
Magnussen has often praised the approach to driving discipline he encountered while racing in America. “In the US they have this approach that they just let the drivers race and it works,” he said.
“It’s not like it’s going crazy over there because you go over there and you just come back to how I was racing in karting back in the day where there wasn’t really all these specific rules about everything and it just kind of worked out naturally and the racing was great.”
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While the days seemingly counting down until the end of his F1 career, it would be little surprise to see Magnussen heading back to race in the US.
How Magnussen reached 10 penalty points
| Event | Session | Infringement | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabian Grand Prix | Race | Collided with Alexander Albon | 3 |
| Chinese Grand Prix | Race | Collided with Yuki Tsunoda | 2 |
| Miami Grand Prix | Sprint race | Leaving the track and gaining a lasting advantage | 3 |
| Miami Grand Prix | Race | Collided with Logan Sargeant | 2 |
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Retired (@jeff1s)
18th July 2024, 12:08
Let’s defend like mf. Hopefully Hulk will suuck some balls
Martin
18th July 2024, 12:12
Nit picking but how is 12 more races half a dozen?
Coventry Climax
18th July 2024, 12:45
They know more than they care to share with you in just one article. The next one is on how Magnussen will be ditched before the end of the season. Part of the show.
SteveP
18th July 2024, 13:45
You’ve heard of a bakers dozen? 12 plus a spare. Well, this is a journalist’s dozen – 6 races plus six spares :)
Doh
18th July 2024, 16:32
Typical journo behaviour
Coventry Climax
18th July 2024, 12:46
So Magnussen maybe going out with a ban(g)..
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
18th July 2024, 14:41
Ahah, yes, was thinking that getting a race ban for the next race after your career is over isn’t very impactful too, so fireworks at abu dhabi!
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
18th July 2024, 14:41
isn’t very impactful either*
MacLeod (@macleod)
19th July 2024, 7:48
The last race I wouldn’t be the one around Magus as they can’t do anything anymore if something happens.
David BR (@david-br)
18th July 2024, 14:07
So… on the balance of probabilities, he’ll get a race ban. :P
Doh
18th July 2024, 16:34
The good thing is that if he gets a ban it’ll be hard to gain another 12 points before the end of the season
Jere (@jerejj)
18th July 2024, 14:16
His days as an F1 driver are numbered in all likelihood & I highly doubt any other team would offer him a drive anymore, especially with better options available, so he’d at best be a last-resort choice like Mick.
WEC, FE, or IndyCar is where I realistically see him continuing his racing career beyond this year.
Pete
18th July 2024, 14:34
I think Haas would probably be happy if he got a ban as it’d allow them to give Bearman a race weekend before he joins….
MacLeod (@macleod)
19th July 2024, 7:49
And his points are reseted so he can be the Magus of old …..