Kevin Magnussen, driver of the Haas VF-24, was involved in the Formula 1 World Championship race known as the Miami Grand Prix in Miami, Florida, USA, on May 4, 2024. During the Sprint race, Magnussen received three penalties for repeatedly leaving the track and gaining an unfair advantage over Lewis Hamilton. However, despite these penalties, the stewards cleared Magnussen of « unethical » conduct.
After the Sprint race, Magnussen admitted to using similar tactics in a previous race in Saudi Arabia to help his Haas teammate, Nico Hulkenberg, improve his chances of scoring points. He acknowledged that the three 10-second penalties were deserved and stated that he resorted to « stupid tactics » that he did not like to use.
Magnussen’s driving and comments led to an investigation by the stewards to determine if he had violated any sportsmanship rules. In their report, the stewards noted that Magnussen believed he had the right to race the way he did and accepted the standard penalties that would be imposed on him for any infractions. He also believed that building a gap between himself and the cars ahead was within regulations and was a common practice to help a teammate during a race.
The stewards concluded that there was no clear evidence of intentional unethical behavior on Magnussen’s part and absolved him of any wrongdoing. However, they expressed disagreement with how he drove his car and suggested that the rules should be changed for repeat offenders in a single event. They plan to raise this issue with the FIA and the stewards’ team.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella criticized Magnussen’s driving and suggested that he take some time to reflect on his sportsmanship.
