The Magnussen / Räikkönen collision: “a rookie mistake” for Boullier
Eric Boullier, questioned about the collision between his driver, Kevin Magnussen, and Kimi Räikkönen, explained that the Danish driver's lack of experience was likely the cause of the incident, while praising the talent of the No. 20.
Author of an almost flawless performance for his first Grand Prix in Australia, where he secured 2nd place behind the untouchable Nico Rosberg and the disqualified Daniel Ricciardo, Kevin Magnussen did not experience a Malaysian Grand Prix of the same caliber, notably due to his collision with Kimi Räikkönen. This incident not only damaged his front wing but also resulted in a 5-second time penalty imposed by the stewards, which he served during his second pit stop.
Kimi Räikkönen, who finished 12th in the race after spending almost an entire lap on three wheels following the puncture caused by the McLaren, spoke on Sunday about the incident and its consequences: « I didn’t see anything that happened, I just heard his front wing hit me and damage my rear wheel. I didn’t feel anything, but obviously it destroyed our race and it wasn’t very good for us. I had some damage after that, so we lost some downforce because the tire damaged the floor. […] We paid a heavy price for someone else’s mistake. It’s unfortunate, but it’s part of racing. »
For Eric Boullier, McLaren’s racing director, it is just a rookie mistake. The Frenchman added: There was probably some excitement. The old guy in front was probably playing, so the young guy got caught.
Despite this, the Dane was still able to demonstrate his composure: But he remained silent, focused, and even with a nose change and a 5-second penalty, he finished in the points. He didn’t overreact. He just kept his pace.
Boullier highlights the fact that, like many drivers since the end of unlimited private testing, his track time has been limited before participating in these Grand Prix: « He is one of the young drivers who, in recent years, has joined F1 without any experience. We tend to forget that guys like Lewis [Hamilton] did nearly 30,000 test miles, which is almost the equivalent of two seasons. »
« He is 21 years old. He joined F1 with just a few days of testing, so he’s doing an excellent job, » he concluded for our colleagues at Autosport.
