Kevin Magnussen admitted there was no real point going out in Q2 during Saturday’s Qualifying session at the Circuit Paul Ricard, but it was fun to turn a lap good enough to make it into Q3.
The Haas F1 Team driver knew going into Qualifying that he would be starting at the back of the field after unscheduled engine component changes outside of his annual allocation, so he was only really going out on track to aid team-mate Mick Schumacher.
When Schumacher was eliminated in Q1, it made little sense for Magnussen to go back out, but he did do and set a time good enough for eighth place, although he did not reappear in Q3 as he saved a set of tyres for race day.
“The pace was really good in the car,” said Magnussen. “The plan was to go out and help Mick with the tow but then he didn’t get through to Q2.
“We had already planned to go out, so we went out even though there was no point, it was just kind of fun anyway with a fast car.”
Magnussen hopes the pace he showed on Saturday can continue into race day and he can progress from the back of the grid to fight for points.
“We’re starting last tomorrow but hopefully the car is good again in the race and we can progress,” he said.
“It’s a rule, it’s there for everybody and unfortunately I exceeded it” – Mick Schumacher
The reason why Schumacher did not advance out of Q1 was track limits, with the German cutting the corner at turn three and running all four wheels outside the white line indicating the outside of the circuit.
He acknowledged it was his own mistake that cost him as he had set a time good enough to advance prior to that, but he was much happier behind the wheel of his VF-22 than he had been earlier in the weekend.
From seventeenth on the grid – he gains two places thanks to the penalties to Magnussen and Scuderia Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr. – he feels he can make progress on Sunday, and he hopes to be in a position to capitalise on other people’s mistakes as he fights for a third consecutive top ten finish.
“It’s a rule, it’s there for everybody and unfortunately I exceeded it, but it’s definitely something that we should talk about,” said Schumacher. “Conditions are quite tough out there, it’s warm, but on the other hand that might bring about opportunities as people might make mistakes.
“It’s just a matter of being clean and looking after the tyres as much as possible. I think we have the potential to go forwards in the race and that’s what we’re aiming for.”
