Team boss slams Renault refugee Magnussen

Jan.12 - Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul has lashed out at departing team driver Kevin Magnussen.

Earlier, after Dane Magnussen claimed the French team had suffered leadership problems in 2016, Renault announced that team boss Frederic Vasseur is leaving.

Frenchman Abiteboul remains managing director, and in the latest pages of the French magazine Auto Hebdo, he slammed the Haas-departed Magnussen.

"We expected to maintain continuity in the team and it would have been logical to keep Kevin," he said.

"But it turned out that while one driver (Jolyon Palmer) progressed during the season, the other stood still.

"Personally, I was disappointed in Magnussen, for his performances and his behaviour," Abiteboul said.

"Kevin is a talented driver, but he lacks discipline. Also, he tries all too often to make excuses."

At the same time, Abiteboul praised Magnussen's 2016 teammate Palmer, who is staying with Renault this year. Magnussen's replacement is Nico Hulkenberg.

"Often on a Friday, Palmer was the inferior, but he steadily developed through the weekend, while Magnussen looked good in practice but lost momentum," said Abiteboul.

"Jolyon works at his own pace, as he did in GP2 where he took several seasons to win the title in a fight with Stoffel Vandoorne," he continued.

"But he is on the right track. We can assume that in 2017 Palmer will be stronger."

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