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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." (GMM)
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C. Sainz jr
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Replies (8)
Login to replyJutlandia
Posts: 191
I think Cyril has a bad memory.
According to several commentators KMAG was offered a seat but he turned it down because it only a one year deal. Instead he took the 2 year deal at HAAS.
Maybe in a short time he will claim that Fred was a lousy team manager.
He is just looking for a excuse for all the root around him.
And Palmer will be replaced after the 2017 season, on that i'll bet.
mclarenfan1968
Posts: 1,027
Jolyon was mediocre throughout. Must involve some sponsors as to why he is still there.
Jutlandia
Posts: 191
Joylon has a sponsor close to him, namely his dad!
mcbhargav
Posts: 1,332
Is it only me, or other too feel that, Renault's investment is going to flow down the drain in 2017/18, and yet Fred., Kevin could be pointed as reasons for it.
Jutlandia
Posts: 191
Sounds most likely, and then again one of Kevins statements was that there where to many Chiefs within the team, pulling in all different directions. Maybe seen in long term, Fred and Kevin was the smart guys in leaving the team, and the looser will be Hulkenberg.
Terning
Posts: 2
I really don't understand Hulkenberg. Renault havent shown any progress with the car in 2016. Both Kev and Jo where struggeling to keep up with the last half of the field. "I was disappointed in Magnussen, for his performances and his behaviour,"... His behaviour??? So when Kev scored almost all of the points, and they ask him for another 14 days, and then they go and sign another driver, that's now a good behaviour... This sounds like a frustating man, who have to find some one to put the blame on.
Jutlandia
Posts: 191
The Hulk has taken a chance. Somehow i want him to have success, but then again...
Maybe Jerome Stroll should sack Cyril and start all over again with a team leader that put the team before his own ambitions. Those frenchmen...
mclarenfan1968
Posts: 1,027
The real point to this matter would be that Hulk committed to this move early in the 2016 season, it would appear he jumped the gun too soon. We don't however know the other side of the picture as to what was going on with Force India. Driver contracts in the midfield are not just about the performance improvement potential it is also down to pay/sponsorship, marketing et cetera. He must have felt both options won't improve much anyway, i.e stuck in midfield. If any team has the chance to boost up it's Renault but achieving that is another story. Where as Force India is always going to be the perennial midfielder with no real chance to come into top 3.
2017 Renault looks like pants, he will be hoping for 2018 more realistically.