Kevin Magnussen shared his expectations for the upcoming Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, where he finished in the top ten last year.
Q: Last year in Saudi Arabia you finished ninth. Can we say that this was not the result of a happy coincidence, but a confirmation of the capabilities of the VF-22 machine?
Kevin Magnussen: Last year we performed confidently in Saudi Arabia. This was after finishing fifth in Bahrain and when we arrived in Jeddah expectations were high and the car was able to handle a good pace.
We were a bit unlucky with the tactics – the safety car came out at a bad time for us, but we still managed to get a few points. I hope we can do better again this year.
Q: There have been numerous changes on the track this year, including special “combs” on the sides of the 3rd, 14th, 19th, 20th and 21st corners, and in the 4th, 8m, 10th, 11th, 17th and 23rd cornering added beveled curbs. What can you say about this number?
Kevin Magnussen: I love the job. Last year I was there for the first time and it turned out that racing in Jeddah is interesting and fun. I hope the track hasn’t changed too much, or at least not gotten any worse. I hope it’s still great flying there. This is a track where it’s important to feel confident in the car so you can attack, as a significant portion of the track has to be passed at full throttle.
Q: The Jeddah Corniche Circuit has only hosted two Formula 1 races, but it is already considered difficult for drivers and any mistake there can be very costly. Do you take this characteristic into account and prepare for the weekend in Saudi Arabia differently than on other stages, or do riders always have one approach: pushing the limits of possibilities?
Kevin Magnussen: On some tracks you find the right rhythm very quickly, and last year in Jeddah I felt this is the case. This is one of those tracks that I really like: if you cross a certain limit, the consequences can be very serious. It is more difficult to approach the border there than on tracks with wide departure zones.
Q: After the races in Bahrain and Jeddah, where more downforce is needed, do you already have a complete picture of the car’s capabilities?
Kevin Magnussen: I think it will only happen after a few races. After two phases, it is difficult to draw conclusions, regardless of whether we performed successfully or not. We’ll get some general ideas, but I expect the rivalry in the middle of the pack to be so sharp and dense that the picture could easily change from track to track.
In addition, all teams are intensively upgrading their cars, so now the most important thing is to stay as focused as possible.
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
