AUGUST 24, 2018

Magnussen ex-manager wins lawsuit

Kevin Magnussen has lost a lawsuit brought by his former manager.

Kevin Magnussen has lost a lawsuit brought by his former manager.

Dorte Riis Madsen had instigated a case in Copenhagen against the Danish driver, claiming a percentage of his earnings due to unfair dismissal and contract breach.

Ekstra Bladet newspaper claims the court sided with Riis Madsen, ruling that 20 per cent of Magnussen's gross income between September 2015 and July 2021 be forfeited to his former manager.

"We did not expect this," said the Haas driver's lawyer Claus Barrett Christiansen.

"Having said that, the result is probably more of a victory than a defeat. Dorte Riis comes out of it with much less than she hoped for.

"But it's a shame for Kevin that his former lawyer does not have to pay compensation for his bad advice," Christiansen added.

On track, though, Magnussen's life is better. He is expected to be retained by Haas for 2019.

"Last year there was no discussion about the contract and I'm still enjoying not being part of this madness," the Dane said at Spa, where the 'silly season' is in full swing.

"Contracts are always difficult. If you agree 98 per cent, the last 2 are the most difficult. At the moment I'm just waiting."

The fate of Magnussen's current teammate, Romain Grosjean, does not look as rosy. Romain Grosjean is expected to be replaced by promising Ferrari junior Charles Leclerc.

"This weekend we are here at Spa, next week we are at Monza and then I think the team will have more time to think about it," Grosjean said on Thursday.

(GMM)