"So cool to be fighting that close to the top" - Kevin Magnussen ecstatic after claiming P4 in 2022 F1 Imola GP Qualifying
Kevin Magnussen was elated after claiming his best qualifying position yet this year at the Autodromo Enzo E Dino Ferrari. The Haas F1 driver was able to slot into the second row of the grid after taking his VF-22 to P4 for the sprint race at the 2022 F1 Imola GP.
WHOOOP!!! P4! Best qualifying for @HaasF1Team ever. The car was just phenomenal. It’s looking like it’s going to be dry tomorrow so we’ll just go and have fun and give it everything we’ve got like we did today. #F1 https://t.co/cXfCTMwfFN
After the session, a jubilant Magnussen shared his thoughts with Sky Sports F1, where he said:
“It is fantastic. It is so unexpected all these things still. Even now we had a good race in Bahrain and in Jeddah but it is so cool to be fighting that close to the top. We were stronger in the wet than we were going to be in the dry but it is crazy.”
The Dane's joy was very nearly cut short when he spun out during qualifying, bringing out a red flag as a result. Fortunately for him and Haas, he was able to keep the car running and managed to continue in the session.
The target for Magnussen and Haas will be to try and hold onto this P4 position throughout the sprint race on Saturday. This will allow them to stand a chance of being near the top teams for the feature race on Sunday.
"The structure is different to other teams" - Kevin Magnussen believes Haas' smaller nature is more advantageous for them
Kevin Magnussen believes Haas F1's simple structure makes it easier for them to address and solve issues as opposed to bigger teams. The Dane, now in his fifth season with the American outfit spaced across two stints, is well-placed to understand its workings.
When asked to underline what sets Haas apart from other F1 teams on the grid, Magnussen said:
“The structure is different to other teams. We outsource a lot of stuff but it just means it’s very straight communication throughout the whole team and I think that plays to some advantages. When you have a problem, you can easily address it and once you address it, you can easily adjust, whereas with bigger teams I think it takes longer to turn things around.”
Amidst all their good performances in 2022, some F1 teams have asked the FIA to investigate Haas for similarities between their car and the Ferrari F1-75. Haas also most notably moved into a design hub based out of Maranello, Ferrari's home base of operations.