It was no easy call. Even so, Kevin Magnussen was fired on a particularly flimsy basis, Haas team boss Ayao Komatsu now reveals.
It may have looked like this on TV. But in the real world, Haas' team manager has had little to hold back the dismissal when he gave Kevin Magnussen the message.
The Japanese engineer reveals this himself immediately after the dismissal of the only Dane with a permanent seat in Formula 1.
– It was exciting in 2018 with, among other things, P4 and P5 in Austria. So there were many highlights. And when we needed him, when Gene and Guenther asked, he came back and gave us that P5 in Bahrain. So he has done a lot for the team.
– I have had many seasons with him, so it was not easy. But that is probably part of my responsibility, I think, says Komatsu in connection with the Hungarian Grand Prix.
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Magnussen's replacement has been promised by Haas before the Formula 1 field takes a summer break. But it is not due to a lack of merit that K-Mag quits.
After all, Komatsu, who prior to this season himself was promoted to team manager, will be more than happy to admit that it is small things that separate Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen. Sports fans just don't see that.
– If you look at Nico and Kevin, when it comes to a consistent constant reference point, I need someone closer to Nico's constant level.
– But the difference between Kevin and Nico is very small. The results make it look very different. The same goes for the number of points. But the decisive factor is not great. So it was very difficult to make that decision. That's for sure.
On top of the rumors about Magnussen's dismissal, there have been at least as many rumors about the Dane's replacement. He has also already been named. Just not by Haas. So not yet. Read more about it here .
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