Kevin Magnussen heads to the scene of his best result in F1 so far this weekend for the 2018 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix. The Dane isn’t yet sure of where his Haas F1 Team will be in the pecking order though.
“That’s only going to be known after the first few races,” says Magnussen.
“We don’t really know yet until we get to other circuits, but it [the VF-18] worked pretty well in Barcelona.”
“I think we made progress with the car. Hopefully, when we get to Australia, we have a package that we know and are happy with.
“It’s been pretty consistent. We’ve only been to one track with it, but we’re going to learn a lot more about it during the season.”
Magnussen finished second at Albert Park in 2014 for the McLaren F1 Team and describes the circuit as “cool” with a “special feeling”. Speaking in the build up to the 2018 event, Magnussen spoke about that stunning debut four years ago:
“I think I just went into it with a smile. I enjoyed it. I didn’t really think too much about the race. I had nothing to lose. I just went for it.
“I drove at my best, had a bit of luck as well, and I ended up on the podium. It was a great experience and a memory I will have forever.
“It’s always going to be quite cool to say that I finished second in my first Formula One race, although it would have been nice to win. I’ll do that another time.”
“Australia’s cool because it’s part street circuit, part road course. It’s got the feeling of being a street circuit, but it has the flow of a permanent road course.
“It’s tricky because it’s bumpy in places, braking zones are twisty, and corners are tight in places. That said, it still has some good, high-speed sections like turn 11.
“The chicane there is really, really fast with the current-generation car. It’s just exciting to be in Australia. It’s the first race of the year and that brings a special feeling.”
