F1 drivers left 'blind' by modern cars

Kevin Magnussen says drivers are left "blind" to cars behind them, saying the issue was partly to blame for a recent tangle with Charles Leclerc. Haas driver Magnussen was branded "f***ing dangerous" by Sauber boss Fred Vasseur after swiping across Leclerc's front wing.

Leclerc called Magnussen "stupid" after his late move at Suzuka cost the Sauber man a front wing, while also leaving himself with a puncture.

Both drivers ultimately retired and Magnussen escaped sanction, however FIA race director Charlie Whiting later revealed that he thought the incident had been worthy of sanction.

For his part, Magnussen agreed that his defensive move had come too late, but said it was down to being unsighted.

View this post on Instagram

“Magnussen is and will always be stupid. It’s a fact.” @charles_leclerc wasn’t mincing his words on Sunday ???? . #Leclerc #KMag #JapaneseGP #F1 #Formula1 #Suzuka

A post shared by FORMULA 1® (@f1) on Oct 7, 2018 at 6:58am PDT

"I obviously knew about his opinion from the press thing that he did," Magnussen said of Whiting's comments.

"I have to say I think he was right to change his opinion, because it was too late that I moved over.

"But the problem is that you can't see the guy behind you until he moves.

"Then you can see him. That's a problem that we need to fix all together.

"You've got the rear wing so when the guy's right behind you, you don't see.

"As soon as he moves out that's when he becomes visible. So you can't do anything but react when you see.

"These cars are really bad. You can only see when he's at an angle so either in a corner or off-set. Right behind you, you're blind."

MORE: Magnussen 'f***ing dangerous' in Leclerc crash - Vasseur
MORE: Two new venues confirm 2020 F1 deals