Kevin Magnussen’s season got here alive over the ultimate rounds, as soon as Haas had acquired the VF-24 working effectively and he now not had the specter of a ban hanging over him. The latter change got here, in fact, as a result of he suffered the indignity of being the primary System 1 driver to incur a one-race ban by gathering 12 penalty factors.
Nonetheless, as soon as Magnussen returned he produced most of his finest outcomes of the yr. He was in nice kind at Austin, taking factors within the dash race and working strongly within the grand prix earlier than making a expensive second pit cease which the crew quickly regretted.
Magnussen was in nice kind in Mexico the place he certified effectively and raced to seventh place. Persisting with a one-stop technique in Las Vegas didn’t repay however he was again within the factors with ninth place in Qatar, passing Albon.
Had he carried out at this degree all season lengthy, often taking Haas into the decrease half of the factors locations, the crew’s resolution to switch him would have been laborious to justify. However the first three-quarters of Magnussen’s 2024 season had been much less profitable.
Kevin Magnussen
Finest
Worst
GP begin
7
20 (x2)
GP end
7
19 (x2)
Factors
16
It didn’t assist issues that the crew typically known as on him to play one thing of a sacrificial position to assist Nico Hulkenberg. He saved rivals bottled up in Jeddah and Miami, incurring penalties for overstepping the mark in each.
Miami was a ruinous weekend for Magnussen’s season as he additionally collided with Logan Sargeant and left having picked up sufficient factors to maneuver midway in direction of a ban. Given his earlier penalty for an unjustifiable collision with Yuki Tsunoda in China, it appeared inevitable Magnussen’s luck would run out ultimately, and it did after he clashed with Pierre Gasly in Monza.
Except for his tendency to get entangled in too many incidents, the basis explanation for Magnussen’s troubles in 2024 was the very fact Hulkenberg routinely out-qualified him. That was all the time going to make life troublesome, however after that sturdy spell on the finish of the yr he can at the least depart F1 together with his head held excessive.
RaceFans’ driver rankings are based mostly partly on the scores awarded to drivers for his or her performances in every spherical in addition to different components.
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