Three drivers saw their race end on the first lap of the Monaco GP. The incident was triggered by Kevin Magnussen, which engulfed his teammate Nico Hulkenberg and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez. Magnussen dived down Perez’s inside line where there was no space for another car. That spun the Mexican around triggering a horrific crash that left his car in tethers. The Haas duo also bowed out with the amount of damage they took.
The incident also leads to a pressing question – will Kevin Magnussen miss the next race in Canada? Magnussen currently has 10 penalty points to his name. Another two will see him get a race ban. The first lap incident in Monaco looks bad enough to see the FIA crack the whip on the Dane.
Magnussen credo che non debba saltare solo un GP, ma gli farebbe bene saltarne più di uno
DOVE CAZZO VUOI ANDARE LÌ#F1 #MonacoGP
pic.twitter.com/tG7rMZwcUB— rik46 (@_rik46) May 26, 2024
As things stand, F1 journalist Chris Medland has reported that there is no investigation on the Lap 1 incident. However, the Danish driver would feel the threat of receiving further penalty points, if any appeals to the stewards happen after the conclusion of the Grand Prix.
Stewards say no further investigation for the Lap 1 Turn 1 incident. If that relates to Perez v Magnussen then the Dane is in the clear.
First lap incidents are usually looked upon with more leniency #F1 #MonacoGP https://t.co/yt8BkSHAXA
— Chris Medland (@ChrisMedlandF1) May 26, 2024
Magnussen’s season anyway is going through a nightmare. All this while, Haas seems to have made long leaps in progress from last year. The 31-year-old has often been reduced to playing the subservient role to Nico Hulkenberg who has proven his worth. Hulkenberg has frequently landed himself in Q3 on Saturdays and also scored the majority of points for the team.
That has led to Kevin Magnussen playing the second fiddle on race days, doing everything in his capacity to help his teammate score points. His tactics in pursuit of that have often come under scrutiny.
The Dane often drives in an unsafe manner to defend his teammate ahead, which has led him to accumulate some penalty points. If the recent crash leaves him with a race ban in Canada, Haas will have to find a replacement.
Kevin Magnussen to make way for Oliver Bearman?
Earlier this year, Haas signed Oliver Bearman as their reserve driver. The Briton also got a stint behind the wheel when he ran for the team in the first practice session in Imola. There too, he replaced Kevin Magnussen while Nico Hulkenberg drove the other car.
Bearman earlier got experience of driving for Ferrari in the race trim in Saudi Arabia. With Carlos Sainz ruled out after driving on Friday owing to an emergency appendicitis surgery, Bearman got the call to take over the duties.
The 18-year-old qualified for P11 after just one practice session. He later went on to finish P7 in the race ahead of Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton.
The impressive result got him on the F1 teams’ radar and Haas boss Ayao Komatsu emerged as one of the biggest admirers. The Japanese boss went to the extent of wishing for Bearman to get a permanent seat in 2025.
Rumors suggest it is his team courting the F2 driver to sign a deal. Now, he might get a chance to drive for the American outfit in 2024 itself in the upcoming race in Canada.
