Magnussen’s robust defensive tactics would earn him a full 35 seconds’ worth of penalties come the chequered flag, dropping him to P18 in the classification – with Hamilton also earning a drive-through penalty (converted to a 20-second penalty) for speeding in the pit lane that dropped him to P16, as Tsunoda again benefitted to claim a point for RB, to add to Daniel Ricciardo’s five points for P4.
Meanwhile, Magnussen’s defence at least allowed team mate Nico Hulkenberg to claim P7, and two valuable points for Haas.
SPRINT START: Verstappen leads while drama behind triggers Safety Car and forces Norris out
“All the penalties were well deserved, no doubt about it, but I had to play the game again,” Magnussen told Sky Sports F1 afterwards. “I was in a very good position behind Nico there and at the beginning I gained a lot of postions, was up in P8.
“I was protecting well from Lewis – because I had DRS from Nico and I had good pace I felt – but then Nico cut the chicane and I lost DRS. Nico could have given that back to give me the DRS to protect, and we would easily have been P7 and P8.
“But instead I was really vulnerable to Lewis and started fighting with him like crazy. I had to just create the gap like I did in Jeddah and start using these stupid tactics, which I don’t like doing. But at the end of the day I did my job as a team player and Nico scored his points because I got that gap for him.”
News Summary:
- MUST-SEE: Relive Kevin Magnussen and Lewis Hamilton’s bare-knuckle battle in the Miami Sprint
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