SEPTEMBER 4, 2021

Magnussen worried about Haas' 2022 hopes

Former team driver Kevin Magnussen is not confident Haas will improve dramatically when the all-new 2022 regulations get up and racing next year.

Former team driver Kevin Magnussen is not confident Haas will improve dramatically when the all-new 2022 regulations get up and racing next year.

After losing his place in F1, the 28-year-old Dane is currently racing in US-based sports cars, but he will become a works Peugeot driver in the world endurance championship next year.

In June, Magnussen filled in for an injured regular in Indycar.

He told Ekstra Bladet that he is not particularly interested in even returning to the Formula 1 paddock for a visit with old friends.

"When someone pays me to come, I'll probably stop by," he said. "It's just not the case that I need to be there.

"I still talk to some of the mechanics. And once in a while I send Gunther (Steiner) a rude emoji," Magnussen smiled.

In his wake at Haas, rookies Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin are struggling at the very back of the grid in what is essentially the same car Magnussen raced in 2020.

When asked how he feels about watching other drivers race in his old cockpit, Magnussen answered: "I almost don't want to say it.

"But I feel sorry for them, even if I am very grateful for what the team gave me. I could never think of saying anything bad about Haas.

"I think it's a shame and they deserve better," he added.

Haas' progress stalled completely in 2021, as the Ferrari-linked American team opted instead to direct all resources and focus into an all-new car for 2022 that is being developed at a separate facility at Maranello.

"I hope they get the jump they need," Magnussen said.

"But it is quite clear in the last two seasons, including this one, that the team has dropped too much focus on looking ahead.

"The problem is that the big teams can bet just as much as them on next season and keep their focus on the current season at the same time."

(GMM)