Kevin Magnussen has criticised the state of Formula 1 and its fuel regulations after being disqualified from the United States Grand Prix on Sunday for exceeding the maximum amount of fuel during the race, with the Dane calling the decision ‘disappointing’.
The Haas F1 Team racer had driven a strong race to ninth place, in between the two Racing Point Force India F1 Team drivers, only for the stewards to investigate him after the race for using more than the one hundred and five kilograms of fuel between the race start and the chequered flag.
Magnussen says it is a shame that Formula 1 has so much fuel saving in the hybrid era, with the Dane revealing that he exceeded the permitted fuel amount despite saving as much as he could in the battle with Sergio Pérez and Esteban Ocon for the positions at the back end of the top ten.
“I would say it was a steady race,” said Magnussen after the race at the Circuit of the Americas. “The car was very good. We had good pace and I was able to put pressure on the Force Indias. I passed Pérez just after the pit stop and I was faster than Ocon, but I had to save so much fuel that I couldn’t afford to attack him.
“It’s a shame that we have fuel saving in Formula 1 and not being able to attack. At the end of the day, what the fans want to see is great racing. We can’t do it because we have to save fuel.
“It’s disappointing.”
