Kevin Magnussen Q&A: United States Grand Prix
October 16, 2023
K-Mag is excited for his fourth race at Circuit of the Americas with MoneyGram Haas F1 Team, a circuit where he secured a well-earned two points last year, after finishing ninth.
MoneyGram Haas F1 Team returns to where many consider its home, the US Grand Prix. It’s an event filled with fans and fun – what makes this week special to you?
“COTA is our original home race, the first we came to as an American team on home soil. I had a really good race there last year and it really is one of the favorites of the year. It’s packed with people who are in love with Formula 1 and many of them have just recently fallen in love with Formula 1, it’s really a massive event. Given we’re the American team and we have many American partners including our title sponsor, obviously we hope to do well there.”
We know you’ve been patiently waiting for this update, and now it’s here. What were your inputs into improvements needed to the car and what are you expecting from this package – in relation to helping both short-term and long-term, thinking ahead to next season?
“I’d be lying if I didn’t hope it will give us a big improvement, but I think there’s actually a second element to bringing this upgrade which is to research for next year. I think we’re all secretly hoping it performs better than what we currently have but actually the bigger target with this is, is the research and the learning we can do for next year’s car.
"I think it’s been clear that in very specific circumstances our car can perform, but it’s a too narrow window and we need to broaden it and make it more user friendly and compliant with a bigger variety of tracks and conditions. Hopefully we’ll be able to follow easier and be more friendly to tires.”
We know you’re a big fan of American culture – visiting some famous landmarks and States with family in a campervan. What is it about the US that you like, and what is still to tick-off your American bucket list?
“There’s lots I want to do. I love getting out in nature and there’s some fantastic national parks out in America. Certainly, many of them are on my bucket list. I just like all the space, it’s a huge country.
"In Denmark, everything is very close together, so when you go to the US you feel like you’re on a different planet. I love spending time over there, I have some really good memories from working over there and with family holidaying.”