Hamilton and Magnussen: Incomparable According to Boullier

In the game of comparisons, the careers of Lewis Hamilton and Kevin Magnussen are very similar. The Briton began his career with McLaren in 2007 at the age of 22 during the Australian Grand Prix. On that occasion, he delivered a solid race to climb onto the podium in third place behind his teammate Fernando Alonso.

For his part, Kevin Magnussen also ran his first Grand Prix in Melbourne two weeks ago and also finished in third place (transformed into second place following the disqualification of Daniel Ricciardo), ahead of his experienced teammate Jenson Button, all at just 21 years old.

But for Eric Boullier, who continues to be impressed by the Dane, the comparison between the two men is hardly possible, and he explains why in the columns of the Press Association Sport: « He is rather calm. Like many Nordic drivers. But he has a strong mentality… he breathes McLaren. He chose to live in Woking, and on every occasion, he goes to the factory. »

But that’s not all, as Boullier points out: « Can you imagine, at 21, being with McLaren, in your first race weekend and getting on the podium? I know Lewis [Hamilton] did it in 2007. But let’s compare: this kid [Magnussen] had just three test days in his entire life before taking the wheel in a race; Lewis had done 30,000 miles! I still want to clarify that none of this discredits Lewis. But to complete your first weekend in Formula 1, nowadays, when you are only 21 and have just a handful of days behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car, it makes a big difference. »

Indeed, in Australia, Magnussen managed to impress his boss, who continues to lavish praise on him: « In Australia, he didn’t make a single mistake, keeping a cool head, far from the pressure. Certainly, we’ve supported and protected him a lot, but he did things perfectly and his pace was good, as was his management of the tires and fuel. To me, his greatest quality is that he keeps a cool head. »