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Red Flags for Haas as Kevin Magnussen Makes Worrying Statement About New Teammate Nico Hulkenberg

Published 01/15/2023, 3:30 AM EST

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via Reuters

Last year, Haas experienced an incredible occasion when Kevin Magnussen won the pole position in the Brazilian Grand Prix, marking the first-ever pole for both Haas and himself. And as the 2023 season approaches, the squad will have a fresh pair on the F1 track. The American outfit, however, is experiencing some worry over the new combo after a concerning statement from Kevin Magnussen.

Although Haas’ season wasn’t particularly memorable—the team finished eighth with 37 points—Kevin Magnussen put up an incredible performance in the Brazilian Grand Prix. Nevertheless, the team’s young driver, Mick Schumacher was fired for failing to live up to expectations. The team chose Nico Hulkenberg, who made a number of replacement appearances throughout COVID-19 and last competed in Formula One on a full-time basis in 2019.

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While the German is returning to the sport, the American teams might be recalling the verbal altercation that occurred between the two drivers at the 2017 Hungarian Grand Prix, during which the German approached the Dane in the media area and referred to him as the “most unsporting” driver. The past might give the team concern.

However, the widespread knowledge that the media has exaggerated both drivers. Talking to the reporters, as quoted by FormulaPassion, Magnussen stated, “We have never been close in the past. Many people think that there are still differences between us, but in reality there is not. I don’t think it’s necessary to be best friends. Maybe we’ll become best friends, who knows, but there’s no pressure to build a relationship anything off the track.”

Magnussen is unrepentant, but the grin quickly vanishes and is replaced with a stern expression of determination. The 30-year-old driver is more focused to emphasize how seriously he takes his duty in Formula One, despite the fact that his rudeness made headlines.

Kevin Magnussen expresses his thoughts on negatives coming from Social Media

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Due to his involvement in incidents in 2017, fans frequently surrounded Kevin Magnussen. If we look at the two drivers with whom he had the most famous disputes, they were Fernando Alonso and Nico Hulkenberg. However, the Dane ignored all the drawbacks of social media and focused entirely on improving his racing abilities.

via Reuters

Speaking with the Ekstra Bladet newspaper, Magnussen said, “One thing I stopped a while ago was looking at social media. As a public person, you are often mentioned and receive many messages. I do not care what people are saying about me. If someone says something negative, I get to know from you (journalists), but I’m not actually bothered. Of course, it’s not my goal to be unpopular, rather to get results, and sometimes you have to put your elbows a bit.”

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The American team may be pumped up for the forthcoming season after securing the pole position at the Brazilian track, and with the addition of a seasoned driver like Nico Hulkenberg, team Haas can pose a serious threat to the big teams. Given that, do you believe K. Mag. and Hulkenberg’s feud off-track will have an impact on their on-track performance?

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Written by:

Aditya Srivastava

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Aditya Srivastava is an F1 Author at EssentiallySports. Although he has completed his undergrad in History, due to his passion for the field, he couldn't hold himself back from entering the world of Sports Journalism. Being a huge fan of Formula 1, Aditya has taken up multiple internships and freelancing gigs where he got to pen down his thoughts about the most prestigious form of motor racing in the world.
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Edited by:

Varunkumaar Chelladurai