Kevin Magnussen will make his first Mexican Grand Prix start this weekend, and although he’s spent time learning the track, he knows experiencing it first hand will be the only true way to get used to it.
The Renault Sport Formula 1 Team racer is looking to see where the performance of his RS16 is at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, and is looking to maximise his performance regardless.
“It will be interesting learning the track for the first few laps in FP1 but after that you just get on with the programme,” said Magnussen. “I’ve never driven it but I have studied the layout and watched some on-board laps so I’ve got a good taste for it.
“It looks good, but you never get a real feel for it until you get out there in the car. I know that the engineers say it was pretty slippery last year, especially early in the weekend which is what you’d expect for a new facility. It’s going to be interesting to see how much it’s improved over the past year.
“I want to get the most out of the car and achieve the best result possible. We know the level of our car’s performance so we want to get the most out of it at every opportunity.”
Magnussen admits visiting Mexico will be a completely new experience for him, and is ready for his first encounter with the passionate Mexican fans, and with the local cuisine!
“I’ve never been to Mexico before so it’s going to be a completely new experience away from the track too,” said Magnussen. “I’ve heard a lot about Mexico City from everyone that visited last year, especially that the fans are very knowledgeable and enthusiastic. I love Mexican food, especially if it’s hot and spicy.”
