09/09/2014
NEWS STORY
Despite being handed penalties at both the Belgian and Italian Grands Prix, Kevin Magnussen's bosses at McLaren remain adamant the young Dane should not change his aggressive style.
At Monza, Magnussen was handed a five-second stop/go penalty for running Valtteri Bottas off the road at the first chicane, a move reminiscent of his defence against Fernando Alonso two weeks earlier. For that incident at Spa Magnussen was handed a 20-second post-race penalty and three demerit points, yet despite the spate of penalties McLaren management doesn't believe there is cause for Magnussen to change the way he goes racing.
"I think the Spa penalty was deserved, to be honest and I believe not the one in Monza," argues Racing Director, Eric Boullier in the latest phone-in interview.
"Monza was unfortunate," he adds. "We believe it was just a normal move and legitimate defence."
Part of the problem, according to Boullier, is that Magnussen is finding himself out of position; racing amongst faster cars, he has little option but to defend vigorously.
"He is maybe punching above his weight," suggests Boullier, "because he doesn't have the car to be fast enough to achieve better results.
"It's good for him, good for the fans, to see this young kid fighting with the big boys.
"He needs to keep building up his confidence by doing what he's doing."
With glowing endorsements from both Boullier and Ron Dennis of late it raises questions over Jenson Button's future with the team. The rather flaccid defence offered by the Briton in Italy, and the combative performance of Magnussen, will not have gone unnoticed in the halls at Woking.
Mat Coch