Guenther Steiner wants to talk to FIA regarding Kevin Magnussen’s black-and-orange flag in Montreal
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Kevin Magnussen with Haas Team Principal Guenther Steiner
After first-lap contact with Lewis Hamilton in Montreal, much like in Barcelona, Kevin Magnussen had his race compromised. The Dane got front-wing damage and was eventually black-and-orange flagged, which meant that he was forced to enter the pits early. This was even more unfortunate considering a virtual safety car came out only a few laps later as Sergio Perez retired from a mechanical issue on lap 8.
Understandably, Haas and Magnussen were unhappy with the decision. Perhaps what played a crucial part in this decision was Esteban Ocon’s complaints about Magnussen’s rear wing. On the radio, the Frenchman had said: “I can see it’s hanging on, it’s going to fall. If he loses it, I’m going to hit it in the face.”
Magnussen later revealed that Esteban Ocon had told him that he was joking about the front-wing damage being ‘really bad’. On this, Magnussen said: “I was just talking to Ocon now and he was joking how he told the FIA that it was really bad. If you know you can influence the FIA like that, you’re going to do it, aren’t you? Which he sort of did, and fair play.”
Magnussen also felt that that the decision was unnecessary, as he only had minor damage: “But you’ve got to let us drive with that s**t, it’s nothing. I just had a bit of contact, nothing serious. Scratched my front wing a little bit and then was told to pit.”
Guenther Steiner unimpressed with FIA’s decision
As reported by Motorsport, Guenther Steiner, like his driver, was also displeased with the FIA’s decision and said: “I share the annoyance, and it is more an annoyance that we were not even consulted about it. We didn’t get the call saying: Hey, guys, your front wing, there is a piece flapping off, what is your opinion about that?”
He said that it was unlikely that ‘it’ would have just fallen off: “We know how it is designed. I cannot sit here now and say it would never have fallen off, but it wouldn’t have fallen off because there is Zylon on top of it, and Zylon doesn’t break.”
While he ultimately respects the decision, he felt that Haas should have been consulted about it first: “We also need to respect the race director. But my personal disappointment, and I have to actually ask Peter Crolla, our team manager, to go and bring this up, is that we should have had at least a call asking our opinion about it, instead of just getting the flag and that’s it, over and out.”
Steiner said that as they the front wing was damaged, they would have changed it anyway, but they would have done it a more convenient time, and not when Magnussen would be relegated to the absolute back of the grid. “Even just a lap later, you would have lost maybe 10 seconds less because it was under the virtual safety car.
He also felt that Esteban Ocon’s complaints had influenced the FIA’s decision: “So it was a bit disappointing. I think it came over because another driver cried on the radio, that he was scared for his life, so it was reactive again. And are we back to that?” As for the race weekend, Haas have not scored any points since Imola, and they will desperately be looking for some in Silverstone.
Also Read: Kevin Magnussen rants at FIA for ‘influenced’ decision: “You’ve got to let us drive with that s***”
Also Read: “It felt a little unnecessary,” Jolyon Palmer criticizes Kevin Magnussen’s move on Lewis Hamilton
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Aniket Tripathi
(1002 Articles Published)