Kevin Magnussen Q&A: Portuguese Grand Prix

The Eifel Grand Prix, courtesy of the weather, was effectively a two-day race weekend. Did you enjoy the challenge of the shortened program and how does it impact your preparation for both qualifying and the race?

“Yes, I think the fact we had only one practice before qualifying made it really interesting – it made it a bigger challenge and more exciting. The practice session was super important for the driver as you had to get on the pace really quickly. You had to get creative and improvise, you had to use your instinct to really get on top of the lap and the track as quickly as possible. I think going into the race as well, having those unknowns with the tires, it made for an interesting race. I’m looking forward to another two-day weekend at Imola."

 

Qualifying at the Nürburgring was the highlight of your weekend with a fourth appearance this season in Q2. What do you look for in the VF-20 to suit your driving style in order to extract the most from it in qualifying trim?

“Generally, the handling of the VF-20 is good. You want a car that has good rear-end stability on entry, at turn-in, and then not too much understeer at mid-corner. That’s tricky to achieve. Usually when you achieve good rear stability on entry, you’re likely to end up with understeer mid-corner. It’s about finding that trade-off. Of course, you’re also looking to get the most out of all the systems and the set-up on the car.”

 

We welcome the return of the Portuguese Grand Prix this weekend at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve. What do you know about the track in terms of its layout and how it will lend itself specifically to Formula 1 cars racing there for the first time ever?

“I tested there a long time ago in my junior career – I remember the track being really cool. It’s a tricky, unique circuit with lots of blind corners. There should be some interesting parts of the track for overtaking as well, and it has a pretty long straight. It’ll be a new challenge and it’s one I look forward to.”

 

At what point do you feel comfortable at a new circuit? Where does the switch happen from learning the track behind the wheel to being able to just concentrate on the run program and set-up?

“The reality is you’re constantly learning – constantly finding more lap time and better rhythm. You never stop improving as there’s always more to be found. The details get smaller, but you never stop being able to extract more out of the lap.”