Sebastian Vettel 'did the right thing' overtaking Max Verstappen says Kevin Magnussen

Chinese GP

Vettel 'did the right thing' overtaking Verstappen

The Haas man also missed out.

Matthew Scott

Saturday 13 April 2019 12:39

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Kevin Magnussen sided with Sebastian Vettel after the Ferrari driver's overtake on Max Verstappen during Chinese Grand Prix qualifying contributed to the Red Bull man failing to deliver a final flying lap. Magnussen and Haas team-mate Romain Grosjean also missed out as a result of chaotic traffic in Q3.

Verstappen was enraged by Vettel and the Renault pair of Daniel Ricciardo and Nico Hulkenberg overtaking him and forcing him to drop back, ultimately preventing him from crossing the start-finish line before the chequered flag fell.

Magnussen was involved in a similarly racy incident with Fernando Alonso at Monza last year, which resulted in both drivers' laps being compromised – although he said this incident was more clear cut the other way.

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"It was pretty messy so at the end of the lap everyone was trying to, I guess, get started, but also have somebody in front," Magnussen said.

"So it ended up being too much and costs a few guys the lap.

"Everyone also went out at exactly the same time out of the pits.

We were following each other and towards the end of the lap you didn't know whether to try and overtake people, which in that case they are going to defend and it was messy."

Asked about Vettel's move on Verstappen, Magnussen said: "In the end, if they got the lap, then they did the right thing."

He added: "I didn't want to be an asshole. You know what I mean. We are racing.

"I didn't attack anyone not because I'm a gentleman, but because I thought my chances would be pretty poor of actually getting past people because people don't want you to get past and it's just messy.

"I don't want to screw anyone. I don't see any point in that. I try to do my own thing and try to do a good qualifying for myself and I would never try to screw anyone just for the hell of it."