Veteran Champions Slam Magnussen: 'In Our Era, He'd Have Been Tamed

Veteran Champions Slam Magnussen: 'In Our Era, He'd Have Been Tamed
27 May 2024 by    2 min read
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May 27 - Kevin Magnussen's driving would have been different "in my time", according to 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve.

Although some think Sergio Perez could have given the Haas driver a little more space, Magnussen is back in the headlines for arguably causing a huge and dangerous crash up the Monaco hill on lap 1 on Sunday.

A photographer even had to seek medical treatment in hospital after being hit by debris - and Magnussen's teammate Nico Hulkenberg, also caught up in the ruckus, admitted he and Perez immediately blamed the Danish driver.

"I'm a bit angry. When we got out the car, we said to Kevin, 'Hey, what's going on?'" Hulkenberg admitted. "'That spot is too narrow and too fast to overtake at'."

Interestingly, the FIA decided to take no action.

"Another accident in which Magnussen was involved," slammed Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko. "You need to carefully review the replays.

"I was surprised how quickly the stewards decided not to look into the incident. Firstly, it was dangerous, and secondly, the damage amounts to two or three million. And this is a serious problem for us with the budget constraints."

Mexican Perez agrees: "I was disappointed that it was not investigated.

"It was a huge accident and my car is completely destroyed."

Magnussen is currently under huge pressure in Formula 1, admitting after the crash that 2024 so far has been "the most difficult start to a season for me ever".

He's on the cusp of an unprecedented race ban under the current super license penalty points system, and at risk of losing his seat at Haas for 2025.

"In my time, Magnussen would no longer be so aggressive," Jacques Villeneuve told Sport1. "We would have pushed him into the wall and made it clear to him - 'This is not acceptable'."

One of Villeneuve's contemporaries, Ralf Schumacher, agreed on Sky Deutschland: "Perez did not expect that, because a normal person does not see any gap there."

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10 F1 Fan comments on “Veteran Champions Slam Magnussen: 'In Our Era, He'd Have Been Tamed”

  1. Jere Jyrälä

    They couldn't be more right & he definitely should've received at least the two penalty points, given infringements such as leaving track limits & gaining an advantage that way have led to 2 or 3.

  2. smokey

    Jacques and Ralf are entitled to their opinions. However, not all veteran champions agree with their view. Jensen Button opined that Cheko looked in the mirror and clearly saw Magnusson beside and gaining ground. As the evidence shows, instead of giving space, Cheko decided to squeeze Magnusson out with disastrous results.
    The stewards obviously determined it to be a "racing incident" and no further action was taken against either driver. Empathy for Hulkenberg, who was the innocent bystander!

  3. Tot

    Magnussen did not receive a penalty for his dangerous driving. Which can be discussed. But as an experienced driver, he should of course have backed off. He had nothing to race for and no possibility of getting into the points. I would not be surprised if Haas kick him out now to take in Oliver Bearman from the next race. Magnussen is doing a lot of harm, and his driving in Monaco and in many other races is not sportsmanlike. He is not a good representative for the noble sport of F1 racing.

  4. Brett Madison

    I didn't see anything Magnussen did wrong. In Miami he cut a chicane, big deal he didn't gain any position or time, but they gave him a 10 second penalty becuase the biased T.V. commentators were calling for a penalty for something he didn't even gain positions with. The next day, Verstappen blew thru the chicane, caused a safety car, and there was no penalty for Verstappen who did much worse than Magnussen did.


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