F1 News: Kevin Magnussen Pokes Fun at Looming Race Ban After Qualifying Incident

Kevin Magnussen joked about having to see the Stewards again after the Imola Qualifying session following his penalty-filled weekend in Miami.

Jun 18, 2023; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Haas F1 Team driver Kevin Magnussen (DEN) parades and salutes / David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports

Haas driver Kevin Magnussen poked fun at yet another meeting with the race stewards after the Qualifying session for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

Both Magnussen and McLaren's Oscar Piastri were summoned to the Stewards after the session as the latter was investigated for impeding the Danish driver. Piastri was handed a 3-place grid penalty losing his front-row start for the race in Imola today.

The incident unfolded when Piastri exited the pits and inadvertently blocked Magnussen, who was mid-way through a flying lap, at the circuit's second and third turns. Race stewards reviewed telemetry data, onboard videos, and team communications, ultimately determining that McLaren did not provide Piastri with timely information about Magnussen’s rapid approach. Magnussen encountered Piastri with a speed differential of around 140 km/h, necessitating quick evasive action.

During an interview with ViaPlay after the meeting, Magnussen commented, jokingly (as quoted by Fastest Pitstop):

"It was nice to see the stewards again and make sure they are doing alright.

"It would be weird to go a whole weekend without seeing them."

This comes after Magnussen was handed five penalty points during the Miami Grand Prix weekend for various incidents in both the Sprint Race and Grand Prix. The Danish driver now has ten points on his Super Licence meaning he is just two points away from a race ban. If this does happen, Ferrari and Haas reserve driver Oliver Bearman, who is fighting for a permanent seat in 2025, will be ready to step in.

Magnussen will start the race today from 18th position on the grid, whereas, Piastri moves from 2nd to 5th position on the starting line-up.