Haas F1 Team driver Kevin Magnussen said that he is the “first to admit” that he’s crossed the line at points in his career, but insists that he’s not the only one to do so.
The Danish driver has had some controversial moments in his career so far, notably his post-race spat with Nico Hülkenberg after battling on track during the 2017 Hungarian Grand Prix.
Magnussen has also had run-ins with Pierre Gasly at the 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, and after qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix later that year with Fernando Alonso.
In an Instagram live interview with Formula 1, Magnussen defended his driving and insisted he isn’t the only driver that’s pushed the boundaries.
“There are certainly some drivers who have had some issues with it and complained about it and I’m the first to admit that I have overstepped the line at some points, but I don’t think I’m the only one who’s done that,” he said.
Magnussen believes that part of the reason comes from getting involved in heated midfield battles, which he feels can be more intense than some battles up the grid.
“The thing is, the last few years, I’ve been battling right in the midfield and often in the midfield,” he explained.
“If you’re in P10 and you’re getting caught from behind from P11 or the other way round… there’s that one point to gain… and there’s not really a lot to lose. I’ve had very tough battles for P10. Some of them were over the limit.
“The way I see it is: You’ve got to take it to the limit, not over the limit, for sure, but you’ve got to take it to the limit with your driving style.
“You have to not take it over the line but to the line, but sometimes that can be hard to find; certainly it’s better to take it under not over.”
This season, Magnussen and Haas are looking to rebound from a poor 2019 campaign, where they languished in second to last place in the constructors’ championship.
