"The very definition of unsportsmanlike behavior" - RB furious at Kevin Magnussen's tactics in Jeddah
Visa Cash App RB Racing Director Alan Permane was furious with Haas F1 driver Kevin Magnussen and his defense against the pack behind him which included Yuki Tsunoda last week and termed it as 'unsportsmanlike behavior'.
The Danish driver finished the Saudi Arabian GP in P12 on the track but slipped back to P15 after a whole host of penalties he claimed whilst defending the position from Tsunoda, Alex Albon, Esteban Ocon, and Logan Sargeant.
His resilience did not go unnoticed as he helped his teammate Nico Hulkenberg earn a very crucial point for the team. Speaking with Motorsport.com, Permane expressed his displeasure at Kevin Magnussen's defense and asked the FIA to intervene in the future, saying:
“Magnussen drove off the track to deliberately put himself in front of Yuki and then slowed him down by up to two seconds a lap, which allowed Hulkenberg, who hadn’t stopped yet, to create a gap and of course pit in front of all the cars behind.
"That, to me, doesn’t seem correct, and is the very definition of unsportsmanlike behaviour. I’m sure we and other teams will talk to the FIA about it for future races.”
RB Team Principal Laurent Mekies, too, added to the aforementioned source that the penalties were 'meaningless' given the outcome. He said:
“Yuki was fighting for what could have been a P10 finish. He was then passed by Magnussen, who cut the track to do so and then slowed down the whole pack to let his team-mate open a gap to pit in front of all of us. It made the penalty imposed on Magnussen meaningless, as it destroyed Yuki’s race."
Kevin Magnussen analyzes his Saudi Arabian GP after finishing P15
Kevin Magnussen, meanwhile, stated that he was happy that he got to help Haas F1 secure the first point of the season despite not having a 'good day' himself on the track.
As per F1.com, the Danish driver said:
“I showed good pace but unfortunately I got two penalties, so that’s not a great day for me of course, but I think I made up for it with the effort in keeping everyone behind to create a gap for Nico to pit.
"He scored a point so that’s super important and right now, I’m not fighting for a championship, so the real fight is in the Constructors’ Championship, and I’m happy that we scored a point today."
It will be fascinating to see if Kevin Magnussen's efforts go in vain at the end of the season as every point will be crucial in the fight for P6 in the Constructor's Championship.