F1 News: Kevin Magnussen Should Have Had a Race Ban After Monaco - Former Champion

Former F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve hits out at Kevin Magnussen's Monaco GP crash.

Jun 18, 2023; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Haas F1 Team driver Kevin Magnussen (DEN) parades and salutes the crowd before the Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports | David Kirouac-USA TODAY Sports

In the aftermath of the first lap crash during the Monaco Grand Prix, former Formula 1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve unleashed sharp criticism on Kevin Magnussen's conduct during the race. Villeneuve suggested that Magnussen's actions, which led to a crash with Sergio Perez, warranted a race ban.

The 1997 F1 champion did not mince words when discussing Magnussen’s decision-making during the race, stating to Best Online Poker Sites:

"If you want to go side by side you have to be side by side, not your front wing near the rear wheels. What is that all about?"

Further fueling Villeneuve's ire was Magnussen’s reaction post-incident. According to Villeneuve, Magnussen failed to acknowledge his misstep, instead suggesting fault lay elsewhere:

"The fact is, Magnussen did not get out of the car and say,’Oops sorry, I completely messed up.‘ Instead, he suggested it should have been the other way.

"Excuse me? What planet are we living on? The utter lack of comprehension on Magnussen’s part befuddles me. We are in F1 here, not Formula 4 where a 15 year-old might not have that understanding yet."

Villeneuve also criticized the regulatory response to the incident arguing that it highlighted a deeper issue within the sport's governing body:

"And the fact he was not even penalised shows that the system is not neutral. If he had been penalised he would have been banned for one race. They decided not to. Why have the rule in place?

"It was massive. It was dangerous. It was ridiculous. And he was 17th and 18th or something. He was not even going for the lead. Come on. First lap and you cannot even judge that. It is mad."

On the other side, Kevin Magnussen defended his actions during an interview with Sky Sports F1. He explained:

"From my point of view, I had a good part of my front on Perez's rear and when he went to the wall I got pushed to the wall and made contact with him.

"I trusted he was going to leave space for me since I was there. It's not a corner where you're braking into it, it's a bend on the straight so you have to have a car otherwise you leave the other guy no option.

"From my point of view, I was there and I got squeezed to the wall."

The Danish driver currently has 10 penalty points, just two away from getting a race ban.