Magnussen U-turn after Hamilton crash accusation

Magnussen, Haas, Spain, 2022 — Photo: © LAT Images

Spanish Grand Prix

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Magnussen U-turn after Hamilton crash accusation

The two drivers collided on lap one

Ewan Gale

Monday 23 May 2022 13:45

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Kevin Magnussen has performed a U-turn after suggesting Lewis Hamilton had deliberately hit him when colliding on the first lap of the Spanish Grand Prix.

The Haas driver was attempting a move around the outside of the seven-time champion at turn four as Hamilton struggled for grip on medium tyres when the pair connected, causing both to limp back to the pits for puncture repairs.

In the immediate aftermath of the incident, Magnussen radioed his team and said: "He knew what he was doing. He ramped me."

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But asked what he meant by that given the insinuation that Hamilton had deliberately caused a collision, Magnussen insisted: "Nothing. It was just in the heat of the moment.

"You say whatever you say, and then you go and look at it. And it's often a different story.

"You're always pissed off in the heat of the moment, but I'll go and watch it again, see what happens and then move on."

Haas pace promising despite lack of upgrades

Haas arrived at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya without upgrades despite the event providing the first opportunity for teams to make wholesale changes.

Team principal Guenther Steiner made clear that he hoped Haas could find progress with its existing package, and that there would be no update until the French Grand Prix.

Whilst the team failed to score after Magnussen's first-lap woe and with Mick Schumacher swamped on what proved to be a sub-optimal two-stop strategy, Magnussen was impressed with the continued performance of the VF-22.

"The pace of the car was good," he explained. "Despite most people bringing upgrades, we were able to stick with them.

"So there are a lot of positives that we will carry on to Monaco."