Kevin Magnussen, who may/may not have put Formula 1 on the shelf after a decade in the sport, admits that he sometimes crossed the line.
Kevin Magnussen admits to having crossed the line in the heat of battle in Formula 1.
The Danish racing driver admits that in his pursuit of positions, he has sometimes pushed the limits too hard in duels with competitors. However, K-Mag emphasizes that he is not the only Formula 1 driver who has briefly reached the limit and perhaps exceeded it.
In recent years, Kevin Magnussen has made his mark in Formula 1 with a driving style that has often been perceived as both fearless and uncompromising. That approach to the sport has led several other drivers in the field to call the Dane 'dangerous', including Williams' Alex Albon.
Nico Hülkenberg, who later became the Dane's teammate at Haas, publicly criticized Magnussen after the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2017. While Fernando Alonso in 2018, when he was driving for McLaren, was more than unhappy with Magnussen during the British Grand Prix that same year.
The two drivers also had a clash during qualifying at Monza that same season.
In Baku in 2018, it was Pierre Gasly of Toro Rosso (now RB, ed.) who criticized Magnussen for lying down and blocking him at very high speed. Charles Leclerc was subjected to a similar incident later in the season in Suzuka.
"There are definitely some drivers who have had problems with it and complained about it, and I'm the first to admit that I have crossed the line in some areas," Kevin Magnussen tells Formula1.com.
– But I don't think I'm the only one who's done it.
Kevin Magnussen explains his tough and defensive driving style by saying that it is necessary to push the limits to achieve success in Formula 1's intense pool of 'mid-range' teams.
"The thing is, in recent years I've been short and struggling in the midfield. If you're in 10th place and get caught up from behind by 11th place or vice versa… there's that one point to gain… and there's not really anything to lose.
– I've had some very tough battles for 10th place. Some of them were over the limit.
– The way I see it, you have to drive to the limit – not over it, of course, but you have to have a driving style that can be driven on the limit.
– You shouldn't take it over the line, but to the line, but sometimes it can be hard to find, says Magnussen.
