Kevin Magnussen has refuted the perception that he and Haas teammate Romain Grosjean are “enemies”.
Last year proved a particularly difficult for the American squad as they slumped to ninth in the Constructors’ standings and had to deal with both drivers making contact on several occasions in the races preceding the summer break.
The biggest flashpoint came at Silverstone, where a small touch on Lap 1 was enough to take both drivers out of the race and the Netflix series Drive to Survive revealed a fiery argument between them and Haas chief Guenther Steiner back in the paddock.
“In fact, we have a good relationship,” Magnussen told Danish newspaper BT. “We talk even between the races, also with his wife and I like his children, so it’s not right to believe that Romain and I are enemies.
“Romain is a kitesurfer and I like sailing and we are actually going to do something together because we both like it. It might also help to remove the image that we hate each other.”
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As for the tensions that did flare-up between them, Magnussen simply put that down to their competitive natures.
“That’s how sports are,” he stated. “You also shout at each other on a football team too, but when the game is over and the boots are taken off and you’re on the team bus, it’s completely different.
“Netflix captured those really sharp moments when we have just taken the helmet off, and in a way that’s perfectly fine because it shows the way Formula 1 can also be.
“But at the same time, I also hope the viewers understand that Formula 1 is not just what you see on Netflix. You see the highs and the lows, and that’s what is most exciting, but you don’t see everything in between.”