Kevin Magnussen believes the current F1 Sprint races are tougher for smaller teams and the format could do with some tweaks. The 29-year-old had his first taste of the 100km dash to the finish line at the 2022 F1 Imola GP weekend.
Speaking to the media after the race, the 29-year-old highlighted the added pressure the Sprint brought on smaller teams on the F1 grid. He said:
“It’s a busy weekend. But apart from that, it’s nice. There’s a lot of pressure. There could be some tweaks. I don’t know if I agree with the parc ferme after [Free Practice 1]. Basically, you have between FP1 and qualifying, then you’re not working on the car anymore, and that’s a little tough for the smaller teams especially. I think they could also tweak making qualifying [on Friday] the qualification for the starting grid on Sunday. Then you’d fight a little harder, and take a bit more risk.”
Despite the difficulties, the Dane did pick up three points for Haas F1 over the course of the GP weekend at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari. Magnussen secured a P8 finish in the Sprint and a P9 result in the feature race.
“The structure is different to other teams” – Kevin Magnussen on Haas F1’s smaller nature and its advantages
Haas F1’s smaller size and nature are advantageous for the American team when it comes to solving problems, according to Kevin Magnussen.
Since their arrival in the sport, Haas F1 have entered 126 GPs and Magnussen has been involved in 83 of them. Speaking in an interview before the Imola GP, the Dane elaborated by saying:
“The structure is different from other teams. We outsource a lot of stuff but it just means it’s very straight communication throughout the whole team and I think that plays to some advantages. When you have a problem, you can easily address it and once you address it, you can easily adjust, whereas with bigger teams I think it takes longer to turn things around.”
Kevin Magnussen has had three points finishes in the first four races of the campaign after signing on to drive for the team mere days from the start of the season.
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The Dane currently sits in P10 in the World Drivers’ Championship standings and will be looking to add to his tally at the forthcoming 2022 F1 Miami GP.
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