Magnussen 'needs to be strong' after Vasseur comment

  • Published on 12 Feb 2016 12:53
  • comments 0
  • By: Rob Veenstra

A Danish racing driver has urged Kevin Magnussen to brush off news that he was actually only Renault's second choice for 2016. One of new team boss Frederic Vasseur's first public acts at Renault was to announce that he actually wanted his new GP2 champion, Stoffel Vandoorne, to race this year. "He has a contract there (at McLaren) and they did not want to let him go," said the Frenchman, who worked with Vandoorne at his GP2 team ART last year.

Some commentators have mused that Vasseur's comments were an odd way to welcome Magnussen to Renault, but one pundit says the Dane should just brush it off. "It's a test of Kevin's psyche," Jason Watt, a Dane and former F3000 driver, told Ekstra Bladet newspaper. "The reality is that he does need to be mentally strong. A comment like that would irritate Kevin, but he would be foolish to pursue it further," he said.

"He just has to swallow it. It might just have been said to give Vandoorne a boost, as I don't think it's a coincidence that the words were spoken (by Vasseur) to the Belgian press," Watt added. 2016 McLaren reserve and Belgian Vandoorne, 23, will race in the Japanese open wheeler series Super Formula this year, it was confirmed by Honda on Friday.

It also emerges that Esteban Ocon, Renault's third driver who remains part of Mercedes' development programme, will replace the Manor-bound Pascal Wehrlein in the German touring car championship DTM in 2016. (GMM)

Replies (0)

Login to reply

BE Grand Prix of Belgium

Local time 

BEGrand Prix of Belgium

Local time 

World Championship standings 2024

Show full world champion standings

Test calendar

See full test schedule

Related news

Give your opinion!

Will Bottas challenge Hamilton for the world championship in 2020?

Formula 1 Calendar - 2024

Date
Grand Prix
Circuit
-
Bahrain
29 - Mar 2
Bahrain
7 - Mar 9
Saudi Arabia
22 - Mar 24
Australia
5 - Apr 7
Japan
19 - Apr 21
China
3 - May 5
United States of America
17 - May 19
Italy
24 - May 26
Monaco
7 - Jun 9
Canada
21 - Jun 23
Spain
28 - Jun 30
Austria
5 - Jul 7
United Kingdom
19 - Jul 21
Hungary
26 - Jul 28
Belgium
23 - Aug 25
Netherlands
30 - Sep 1
Italy
13 - Sep 15
Azerbaijan
20 - Sep 22
Singapore
18 - Oct 20
United States of America
25 - Oct 27
Mexico
1 - Nov 3
Brazil
22 - Nov 24
United States of America
29 - Dec 1
Qatar
6 - Dec 8
United Arab Emirates
-
United Arab Emirates
See full schedule

Formula 1 Calendar - 2024

Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
29 - Mar 2
7 - Mar 9
Saudi Arabia Jeddah Street Circuit
22 - Mar 24
Australia Albert Park
5 - Apr 7
19 - Apr 21
3 - May 5
United States of America Miami International Autodrome
17 - May 19
24 - May 26
Monaco Monte Carlo
7 - Jun 9
21 - Jun 23
28 - Jun 30
Austria Red Bull Ring
5 - Jul 7
United Kingdom Silverstone
19 - Jul 21
Hungary Hungaroring
26 - Jul 28
23 - Aug 25
Netherlands Circuit Zandvoort
30 - Sep 1
Italy Monza
13 - Sep 15
Azerbaijan Baku City Circuit
20 - Sep 22
18 - Oct 20
United States of America Circuit of the Americas
25 - Oct 27
1 - Nov 3
Brazil Interlagos
22 - Nov 24
United States of America Las Vegas Street Circuit
29 - Dec 1
6 - Dec 8
United Arab Emirates Yas Marina Circuit
-
United Arab Emirates Yas Marina Circuit
See full schedule

Driver profile

  • Team -
  • Points -
  • Podiums -
  • Grand Prix -
  • Country DK
  • Date of b. Oct 5 1992 (32)
  • Place of b. Roskilde, DK
  • Weight 68 kg
  • Length 1.74 m
Show full profile

Team profile

Show full profile
show sidebar