Leclerc unhappy with 'stupid' Magnussen

  • Published on 07 Oct 2018 12:03
  • comments 14
  • By: Fergal Walsh

Charles Leclerc has expressed his unhappiness after he sustained damage to his car following an incident with Kevin Magnussen. The pair were racing during the opening two laps before they made contact on the start-finish straight.

Magnussen had pulled off an impressive overtake around the outside of Leclerc at 130R. However, the Monegasque driver came back at the Dane and pulled to the right side of the track to attempt a move up the inside into the first corner.

But Magnussen then pulled his car over, causing Leclerc to run into the back of the Haas driver. Magnussen sustained a puncture and retired from the race, while Leclerc struggled before a separate car issue landed him a spot on the sidelines later on in the race.

"Magnussen is, and will always be, stupid,” he said “For me, there was a similar situation with Kimi and Max in Spa [in 2016]. [That was] where Max moved at the really last moment and everyone agreed that it was dangerous to do that and that it was not allowed anymore. But strangely it has been accepted today so I will have to get some response on that [from the stewards] to just know what I can do in the car.”

Talking about the incident from his point of view, Magnussen said: “I went to the right and I think he followed for a bit and then went back to the left. It’s unfortunate but that’s what happens sometimes."

Charlie Whiting explained why the decision was deemed a racing incident and Magnussen walked away without a punishment. The Briton stated that the two moved over at virtually the same time: “It was quite an interesting one actually. It was in two bits as you know, on the straight and then in the corner. He got the puncture in the first one.

“And if you analyse it very, very carefully, what you see is two cars coming down with Kevin not moving, and then Charles catches, catches, catches, he decides to go to the right, and at exactly the same time, on the video, one frame, there’s one frame difference, then Kevin moves.

“I think it’s impossible to say that Kevin blocked him, it was just he made the decision that he was going to go right, fractionally after Charles had. You had to look at it quite a few times and analyse it in little detail to see that, but I think that it’s just unfortunate, and that’s what the stewards felt.” 

Maybe I haven't seen other footage but from the cockpit camera in Leclerc it seemed absolutely clear that Magnussen moved sharply quite late making the collision inevitable. What am I missing here?

  • 4
  • Oct 7 2018 - 16:23

Replies (14)

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  • websurfer

    Posts: 52

    Leclerc is stupid if he is angry. He hits Magnussen, who turns right and Leclerc turns rigth. Leclerc is the one to blame here if so. Stewards didn't see any reason to blame any of the drivers as well.

    • + 0
    • Oct 7 2018 - 13:06
    • xoya

      Posts: 583

      I agree to an extent, but it's the same for Verstappen and Magnussen in my book. You cannot really NOT blame them since they participate in so many incidents in every race. Anytime they are overtaking someone or someone is overtaking them you can bet your ass that they will collide. I have seen nothing like it in my time watching F1, and I am 31 years old.

      • + 1
      • Oct 7 2018 - 14:38
    • Maybe I haven't seen other footage but from the cockpit camera in Leclerc it seemed absolutely clear that Magnussen moved sharply quite late making the collision inevitable. What am I missing here?

      • + 4
      • Oct 7 2018 - 16:23
    • Magnussen should try this new thing called racing, and move away from his circus. There is no top team, that would want a inconsistent line changer, and consistent point loser.

      • + 1
      • Oct 7 2018 - 19:24
    • Magnussen made a very late maneuver, the crash was inevitable since Leclerc was already there. But this is the same what happened to Max and Danniele in Baku. It's a racing incident.
      This is also the same what Seb did to Lewis in Russia but Lewis... he knows what he is doing :)

      • + 0
      • Oct 8 2018 - 08:17
    • @juju_hound Danniele Ricciardo? You saying he was a she all along? I mean, the shoe obsession makes sense now! ;)

      • + 1
      • Oct 8 2018 - 09:09
    • Bhurt

      Posts: 320

      @AJPENNYPACKER - a Danish passport.

      • + 1
      • Oct 8 2018 - 16:54
  • websurfer

    Posts: 52

    As for Magnussen, I don't agree XOYA. Look at how much each driver has been punished by the stewards. Magnussen isn't among the worst at all.

    • + 0
    • Oct 7 2018 - 16:25
  • websurfer

    Posts: 52

    AJPENNYPACKER your missing that both drivers are making the same move at almost the same time. That's an unfortunate race incident. I agree with the stewards.

    • + 0
    • Oct 7 2018 - 16:32
  • Jutlandia

    Posts: 191

    Leclerc is turning into a younger version of Alonso or Hulkenberg, whining all the time...
    As long as Whiting and the stewards concludes nothing is done wrong, he should shut the f@ck UP!

    • + 0
    • Oct 7 2018 - 17:19
  • It was a dangerous move from KMag. And sadly its moves like that that keeps him from being more than just good.

    • + 0
    • Oct 7 2018 - 22:49
  • Wothan

    Posts: 8

    Too me it looked weird too, but if it really went as Charlie Whiting said, then it´s just a racing incident.
    It´s annoying to keep hearing the drivers complaining about K-mags driving.
    As told further up this thread, K-mag has not been punished more that other drivers.
    The radio is used too often by some drivers to gain an advantage by complaining about the other drivers and K-mag has become their pet- driver to complain about.

    I think some drivers and teams has a hard time accepting that the smallest F1 team has faired so well this season.
    K-mag is a "No bullshit" driver and obviously has he succeeded in getting into a kind of respect, that he isn´t easy to go past, regardless if Your a former world champion (Alonso), or an upcomming star (Le Clerc).

    Your job as a driver is not to make friends, but to score points instead of giving them away. No one doing that will last for very long in F1.

    • + 0
    • Oct 8 2018 - 09:14
    • Agreed! Running to Charlie everytime it gets tricky to overtake... boohoo
      Less rules, less penalties, more gutsy drivers = exciting racing

      • + 0
      • Oct 8 2018 - 10:27
    • Jutlandia

      Posts: 191

      Well written WOTHAN.
      Could not have done it better myself.
      It's drivers like VER and MAG that makes F1 more exiting.
      Types like Leclerc and Gasly spends to much time whining on the radio.

      • + 0
      • Oct 8 2018 - 13:04

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