Kevin Magnussen admitted the Renault Sport Formula 1 team were not expecting to make it through to Q2 in qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix on Saturday, so both cars making it through was a pleasant surprise.
The Danish driver, returning to Formula 1 after a year on the sidelines as McLaren-Honda reserve driver in 2015, felt his lap around the Albert Park circuit was not as perfect as it could have been, which gives Magnussen some confidence moving forward about the potential pace of the RS16.
“We didn’t think we would be as strong as we were today, we hadn’t expected to get out of Q1 and actually we got both cars through,” revealed Magnussen, who finished just behind team-mate Jolyon Palmer by 0.141s.
“My lap wasn’t perfect, there was more to get out of the car so that is encouraging. It was frustrating that things didn’t go our way in Q2, we had traffic which meant we didn’t get a chance to set a better time, but qualifying is the same for everyone and at some point it will work out in our favour.”
