JANUARY 13, 2017

Haas shrugs off Renault's Magnussen attack

Team boss Gunther Steiner has dismissed a stinging attack on Kevin Magnussen, who is Haas' new recruit for 2017.

Magnussen is moving to the American team from Renault, whose Cyril Abiteboul this week said the Danish driver "stood still" while wearing yellow last season.

"Personally, I was disappointed in Magnussen, for his performances and his behaviour," the Renault boss told Auto Hebdo.

"Kevin is a talented driver, but he lacks discipline. Also, he tries all too often to make excuses."

When asked about Abiteboul's attack, Haas team boss Steiner dismissed the remarks.

"Kevin is a respected race car driver, and I must emphasise that," he is quoted by the Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet. "We are all looking forward to working with him."

The Danish press also defended Magnussen, with the correspondent for BT newspaper, Peter Nygaard, speculating that Abiteboul is angry with Magnussen for other reasons.

"If Abiteboul is upset about Kevin suggesting that the Renault management were not singing from the same song sheet, that's ridiculous. Because it's precisely for that reason that Frederic Vasseur has left the team," he said.

(GMM)