Kevin Magnussen admits it is frustrating that he has to be happy with seventh place finishes in Formula 1.
Mired in the midfield with Haas, the Dane claimed he had forgotten what it had felt like to win a race, battling for ‘best of the rest’ behind the top three teams.
And now he has reiterated his displeasure at the inequality on the grid by suggesting his experience of competing in F1 in much different to what he dreamt of as a youngster.
“It’s so far from what I imagined… the mentality I have now is so far from anything I thought I would have. That part of it really sucks, it’s not at all fun,” Magnussen told ESPN.
“If you’d told me that as a kid, ‘Kevin, one day you’ll be happy with seventh’, I’d have killed myself! It’s just Formula 1 as it is in these days; unless you’re in one of the top three teams you can forget about podiums and wins.
“But it’s still Formula 1 and you still take pleasure in doing a good job, of course, but I’m looking forward to one day when there’s going to change.”
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“Hopefully one day we can celebrate a bit more properly if one day we can get on the podium or a win, who knows,” Magnussen added.
In recent years, the former McLaren and Renault driver has built a reputation for his aggressive style and was even branded the most dangerous driver on the grid by Pierre Gasly after an incident in Baku last year
However, Magnussen insisted that approach is only taken because of the limited opportunities available in the midfield.
“I try and make the most out of the situation I’m in,” he explained. “When you’re fighting around those top ten places, sometimes you are in a situation where you have nothing to lose.
“If you are fighting for a championship, you’re driving for Mercedes, Ferrari or Red Bull, you’re guaranteed to be in the top six. You will always score points so you might as well take P6 instead of risking everything for P5.
“Whereas if you’re in the midfield and you’re P10 and you’re being overtaken, you’re screwed anyway, and it forces you to take a lot more risk. I think that’s the difference.
“I’d be driving a lot differently if I was if I was fighting for the championship.”