Kevin Magnussen: Russian Grand Prix Q&A

The issue of restarts and safety was prevalent after the Tuscan Grand Prix. Having had some time to digest all that happened in the race – what are your thoughts on how events played out and what, if anything, could be done to ensure such incidents are avoided?

“I think the crash happened because some drivers in front of me tried to make a slingshot to gain momentum at the restart crossing the line. They opened the gap and accelerated and then realized they had to brake again, which then kicked off the chain reaction down the field. It eventually led to some people not being able to react. That’s really what happened. The solution has to be a change to the restart procedure otherwise I think it will happen again.”

The consensus seemed to be that the Mugello circuit was a popular stop on this year’s revised Formula One schedule. Would you like to see some flexibility in Formula One’s calendar with circuits like Mugello rotated into the line-up every couple of years for added variety?

“I thought Mugello was great, I really enjoyed driving the track. Even though it was high speed, high downforce, and we all thought it would be very difficult to overtake, it actually was possible to overtake. We ended up seeing quite a few passes in the race. It wasn’t just in F3 and F2, but even in F1 where following the car ahead is even more difficult. I think Formula One would benefit from old school tracks like Mugello – more exceptional things can happen, the consequence of making a mistake – a driver mistake, is bigger and therefore more spectacular in the race.”

Looking ahead to the Russian Grand Prix – what do you need from the car’s setup to attack the characteristics of the Sochi Autodrom? Which elements pose the biggest challenge technically?

“Sochi is a high fuel consumption circuit. There’s always fuel saving going on. It’s technical and slightly unique because it’s very wide with a lot of medium speed corners. I personally think it’s a pretty good track. There’s a lot of run-off area, which is very standard in the newer circuits, but the layout itself is quite fun. Usually I’ve had good races there so I’m hoping for another good one this year.”

What’s your favorite part of the circuit to drive and from your time racing there, what’s your best Russian Grand Prix moment?

“Sector two is pretty cool, turns seven through nine, the high-speed section of the track but the corners are quite technical. I also like turn three, the long left-hander is pretty cool, it’s a unique part of the circuit – it’s not really replicated on any other track. The circuit’s always been good to me, I finished fifth there in 2014 and I’ve had a few top-10 finishes. It’s often been one of the better races of the season for whatever reason.”