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Laurence Edmondson, F1 Editor
After missing the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend due to a one-race ban, Kevin Magnussen called on the FIA to trust drivers to race each other rather than handing out penalties.
Following an on-track incident with Pierre Gasly at the Italian Grand Prix, Magnussen became the first Formula 1 driver to have his superlicence suspended for accruing 12 penalty points in a 12-month period.
The penalty points system, which was introduced in 2014, has come under criticism from some drivers since Magnussen was given his ban, and the Dane, who watched the Azerbaijan Grand Prix from his gym at home, believes the sport’s governing body should rethink its approach to penalties.
“I can feel the FIA know it’s not the right way at the moment,” he said. “Hopefully they will open up and realize they need to trust the drivers.
“Of course there are things you have to clamp down on. There are things, like moving under braking, and reacting to movement, there are dangerous things that you should clamp down on. But the little things, just let it go.”
Although Magnussen said he did not change his approach based on his penalty point count, he believes the system is not conducive for good racing.
“That my own opinion is it’s not a great situation for F1, I think, to restrict racing in that way,” he said. “It feels bad when the sport you love so much changes in a way you don’t appreciate.
“I think I’m certainly one that, I like hard racing, and I think that’s a big part of the beauty of motorsport, is the battles. The on the limit and slightly over, that balance between going slightly over and under the limit is what makes your race.
“At the moment, it feels like they’re punishing ridiculous things. I’d like to see, personally as a Formula 1 fan, I’d like to see the sport open up again and allowing the great racing that can be seen on-track.”
Magnussen is due to leave F1 at the end of the year when Haas switches to an all-new driver lineup of Oliver Bearman, who substituted for Magnussen in Baku, and Esteban Ocon.
When it was put to Magnussen that he now has zero points on his superlicence and seven races left to push the limits, he joked: “Yeah exactly! I mean, it’s kind of… you get punished, and then you come back, and you’re like all ready to… f— s— up now!
“It’s funny how that works. In a way, it hasn’t really affected me. I think with those points, it was annoying to have the knowledge that the next time anything happens, there’s a race ban.
“It’s nice to know that’s not a factor any more. But I actually don’t think it has affected me in how I’ve driven. I’ve really tried to say look, I need to crack on here, and whatever happens happens.”
Source: www.espn.com