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“We felt like we were faster than our opposition”- Kevin Magnussen explains why Haas struggled at the 2022 Australian GP

Somin Bhattacharjee
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"We felt like we were faster than our opposition"- Kevin Magnussen explains why Haas struggled at the 2022 Australian GP

After a strong start to the 2022 season, Haas and Kevin Magnussen faced a minor setback in Australia as they finished point-less. 

Haas faced a tumultuous pre-season off the track. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine resulted in both Uralkali and Nikita Mazepin leaving the team, just days before the start of the campaign.

In the nick of time, they brought back former driver Kevin Magnussen, who hadn’t raced in F1 since 2020. Despite the last minute hassle, they went off to a brilliant start this year.

At the Bahrain GP, Magnussen surprised the entire paddock by taking his Haas to a fifth place finish. It was followed by another points finish in Jeddah for the Dane, where he ended P9.

His teammate Mick Schumacher is yet to earn his first points in F1, but the young German too, showed glimpses of brilliance in the opening two rounds.

At last weekend’s Australian GP however, their blistering start hit a bit of a roadblock. The VF-22 looked off pace all weekend long, and unsurprisingly, neither drivers finished in the top 10.

Also read: Max Verstappen criticised the pace of the safety cars in the 2022 season

Albert Park was a fun track to drive on, says Haas’ Kevin Magnussen

In spite of enduring an underwhelming weekend, Magnussen insists that they had fun driving around the track on Sunday. He lauded the circuit for it’s high speed layout, and blames luck for them not scoring any points.

Schumacher qualified P15 ahead of Magnussen in P16 for the race. However, the latter is adamant that they had a strategy in mind that could have allowed them to finish in the points.

“It was good fun, and a nice track,” he said. “I’m disappointed not to get points today. We made a small gamble, I would say, with the Hard tyre, because we felt like we were faster than our opposition, which we were.”

“But, again, the Safety Car came and ruined completely the strategy,” the former McLaren driver continued. “We know that’s the gamble, but it’s happened two times now, so it’s a bummer. We’ll take them next time!”

The F1 season resumes after a one week gap, when the teams travel to Imola for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.

Also read: Aston Martin concerned about Sebastian Vettel after a disastrous Australian GP

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

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Formula 1 Editor Somin Bhattacharjee fell for the sport as well as Fernando Alonso on the same day — during the Spaniard’s thrilling victory at the German GP in 2010. Over the years, the passion magnified manyfold, and metamorphosed into a writing career in 2021. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. He has penned over 2,700 articles for TheSportsRush, presenting a diverse range — news reports, opinions, and exclusives. A true Tiffosi, Somin never gives up on a chance to defend the Ferrari boys as a fan. As a sports writer though, he remains objective to the core and relishes opportunities to follow and engage in dissecting the action during races. That’s where the real thrill lies for him. Beyond the racetrack, Somin plays different sports including soccer. He enjoys exploring other sporting events and proudly supports Spanish soccer club Real Madrid.

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