F1 | Monaco GP | K-Mag: "It's definitely the most exhilarating lap of the whole year.”
Kevin Magnussen spoke to select media, which included Motorlat, about his love for the Monaco Grand Prix circuit at a time when its future on the F1 calendar seems far from certain.
Ever since unexpectedly returning to the world of Formula One, it has been noticeable that Kevin Magnussen's smile and positivity is a welcome presence within Haas F1 Team and the paddock as a whole. Therefore, at a time when the Monaco Grand Prix seems to be under fire, and its place on the F1 calendar supposedly in doubt, it is a welcome relief to hear K-Mag come out and fight its corner labeling it ‘the most exhilarating lap of the whole year’.
It is no secret that the Monaco Grand Prix circuit was not designed with modern Formula One cars in mind. As such, the race itself tends to have minimal overtaking and instead headlines are filled with strange incidents – none more so than Valtteri Bottas’ infamous never-ending pit stop from last year. However, recent headlines involving the Monaco Grand Prix have been around the fact that this is the first season in which it will follow a standard three-day event format. In previous years, practice sessions took place on Thursday with Friday serving as a ‘day off’. With such a routine calendar now in place, is the Monaco Grand Prix just becoming another event like the rest?
Not according to Kevin Magnussen, as shown by his recent remarks in Monaco to select media which included Motorlat.
“It's a lot of fun. It's the place where you feel the speed the most you know it just feels so fast. All the direction changes and you hit a curb and straightaway you're at the exit, the wall at the exit. Most of the apexes are a wall. It's definitely the most exhilarating lap of the whole year.” Magnussen said.
Kevin Magnussen has already shown that he has the ability to tame the Monaco circuit in qualifying, having previously set a time to place him P6 on the grid back in 2019. On that day the Danish racer would qualify just under a second behind polesitter Lewis Hamilton.
“It was super cool, one of those where you just try so hard, and it goes well. it's very rewarding here…In ‘19 when I set that lap time, I pushed so hard, I took a lot of risk, and it went well. I got to the end, and it was a good lap – it felt so cool.” beamed Magnussen when recalling his memorable lap.
Unfortunately, the less said about the 2019 race day the better as K-Mag received a post-race five-second time penalty then for an incident defending against Sergio Perez (driving at the time for Racing Point) in his effort to keep a position. There is every reason to expect that Magnussen and Perez could be in an on-track duel once again seeing how Haas F1 Team seemingly recaptured its pace in Spain. This was evidenced by both cars making it to Q3 despite being the only team at Barcelona to not bring an upgrade. A fact which fills Kevin Magnussen with even more hope for the future.
“We still have a lot of a lot of potential in the car and you know this whole porpoising in the beginning of year took everyone by surprise. All teams took a lot of measures to control that and that meant there's a lot of work to sort of come back again and find the limit, get the car into the window. So, yes there is more potential in the car…we try to extract as much performance as we can.”
As a result of re-entering the Formula One fray so late on in 2022, Kevin Magnussen’s intense neck-training routine was not planned for in preseason. This has resulted in him experiencing neck pain post-race in the first Grands Prix. The question was posed to K-Mag as to whether he is back to 100% yet?
“I wouldn't say so. I think it will take this whole year and maybe winter to be at 100. You never get to 100% but at the level I'm striving towards that I have been in the past…you have a double or triple [header of Grands Prix] you don't go flat out training when you're between those races so it's tough to improve your fitness during the year.” Magnussen remarked.
Formula One and the Monaco Grand Prix seem to be approaching a crossroads with more and more speculation that the future of the previous jewel of the F!’s crown could be in doubt. As such, it is refreshing to hear a driver speak so positively about the legendary event.
Kevin Magnussen did not expect to be partaking in this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix when the calendar was first announced, and he clearly feels the 2022 cars will bring even more challenge as he said “They are wider it's going to feel like the track has become smaller. I think it's going to be more challenging, but we will see.” A challenging race could be just what is needed to keep the critics at bay.
For the romantics of the sport, one can only hope the Monaco Grand Prix remains on the calendar for many years to come. Whether it be a procession or a gripping battle, surely the Monaco Grand Prix must remain on the F1 calendar - fingers crossed it’s the latter.
Monaco, your time has come, the world is watching and more importantly so is Liberty Media – over to you!
