Kevin Magnussen's Styrian Grand Prix Q&A
July 7, 2020
Kevin Magnussen looks ahead to Round 2, the Styrian Grand Prix as Formula 1 goes back-to-back at the Red Bull Ring.
How was it adapting to the new working environment and off-track structure in what was a very different Formula One event at the Austrian Grand Prix last weekend?
“It was different but not too distracting. It all seemed to be very much under control. The weekend was different to a normal race weekend, but at least we’re racing and that’s all that matters.”
What positives can be gleaned from last weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix and how do you personally reset mentally ahead of the next race?
“The positive was the pace I had on Sunday and how we were able to maintain it. Yes, I only did 26 laps, but for those laps I had good pace. Of course, I started to fall off because I was having to save my brakes, but if it hadn’t been for that I’d have been able to push the guys in front. I was in P11 at the time so points were on the table.”
Is it a benefit that we head straight into another race weekend, giving an immediate opportunity to try new things, or would you have preferred more time to digest the data from the Austrian Grand Prix?
“I don’t think it’s a particular benefit. Maybe it’s a slight benefit for the bigger teams because they have more resources and they’re able to process data and analyze things quicker than we can. That maybe gives them a slight advantage on the small teams.”
We’ve seen a glimpse of the 2020 pecking order – was there anything that caught your eye, and do you expect the same teams to be in similar positions?
“The pecking order was all a little bit over the place. This track, for some reason, partly because it’s a small track – but there must be other reasons as well, it brings the field closer together. You can make up a lot of positions, especially in qualifying. As a driver you can gain a tenth or two on a mega lap, you’ll jump a lot of positions, whereas at another track you might only gain a place or two. It’ll be interesting to see whether we’ll be in the same position this weekend. I hope not, obviously, instead I hope we can qualify a bit better and finish the race on Sunday and hopefully score some points.”