Magnussen expecting "intense" midfield battle

Kevin Magnussen has admitted that he expects an even more "intense" midfield battle in the 2019 Formula 1 season, following on from a closely fought 2018 campaign in which his Haas team eventually finished fifth behind Renault in fourth and ahead of McLaren in sixth.

Last year, Haas impressed as it got in the thick of a close midfield scrap with Renault, McLaren, Force India, Sauber and Toro Rosso.

And, based on winter testing, those same protagonists are still closely matched for 2019.

"I can imagine it being even more intense," Magnussen, who drives for Haas, told BT newspaper.

"Last year it was very much Haas and Renault up the front. Then Force India began to get involved, and sometimes Toro Rosso, who I think this year will be there from the start," he added.

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Great day testing today, @HaasF1Team????????????.

VF-19 feels pretty awesome. I wanna go racing already!

We’re back for more testing next week. Stay tuned! ????????#F1Testing #HaasF1 #VF19 #RichEnergy #F1 pic.twitter.com/c8alOL36rw — Kevin Magnussen (@KevinMagnussen) February 21, 2019

As for the driver himself, Magnussen says he is now well settled at Haas, where he will also stay in 2020.

"I can feel that the team's understanding of me as a driver and a person is growing, and I can lean on their understanding of me more in terms of knowing what I need in the car," he said.

"It gives me a sense of security, and vice versa -- I can feel the team being more comfortable with me, and that's cool."

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