"That's why he never learns" - Kevin Magnussen lambasted by Jacques Villeneuve for defending his crash with Sergio Perez
Former F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve continues his harsh criticism of Kevin Magnussen for the latter's involvement in the crash with Sergio Perez at the Monaco GP a few weeks back. The Danish driver crashed with the Red Bull of Perez on the opening lap of the Monaco GP that brought out the red flag and also took out his Haas F1 teammate Nico Hulkenberg.
Despite Magnussen defending his actions and his move on the opening lap, many have blamed the Dane. In the FP2 broadcast for Sky Sports, the 1997 world champion did not mince his words regarding Kevin Magnussen, saying:
"That is why he never learns. One hundred percent, one thousand percent, there is no doubt, and unless as a driver you spend your time thinking, 'I was wrong what could I have done better' you will never learn and you will repeat it over and over the same mistake."
Earlier in the weekend, Jacques Villeneuve questioned the thinking of the Haas F1 driver while making a move on Sergio Perez, adding (via GrandPrix247):
“Kevin has been around for a long time. The driver in front, in this instance Sergio Perez, won’t be looking in his mirror. You give a quick glimpse, see the guy is not next to you and even if he is getting close, you take your line.
“When you are the guy behind, you are the one supposed to understand what is happening in front of you and to be able to judge what will happen. There was obviously no room and a massive crash happened."
Kevin Magnussen defends his move against Sergio Perez in Monaco
Kevin Magnussen has been adamant that he made the right decision by going for the move, emphasizing that Sergio Perez saw him and didn't leave any room.
As per Motorsport.com, the Danish driver said:
“He had seen me, and I knew he had seen me. It’s one thing if you're not sure he's seen you, then I perceive the risk as being bigger. If I wasn't sure that he's seen me, I probably would have just backed off. But it was very clear to me that he had seen me."
However, Haas F1 team boss Ayao Komatsu shared a different view from his charge and pointed out in the team principal's press conference that "he expected Perez to leave more room for him but that's not up to him in the end".
He further claimed that "there was a point where everything was under his control where he could have made a decision to back off which he didn't".
Kevin Magnussen was lucky to escape the race ban as the crash was judged as a "racing incident" and he was let off by the stewards without any penalty points.