Magnussen explains whether he will change approach amid need to ‘be careful’ to avoid potential race ban

Kevin Magnussen has admitted that he may have to take a more conservative approach to racing in order to avoid a potential race ban, having edged closer to the limit of penalty points on his licence last time out in Miami.

Having arrived into the 2024 season with no outstanding points, Magnussen has since accumulated 10 in the opening six rounds of the campaign.

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The Dane particularly added to his tally during the Miami Grand Prix weekend, where he received 35 seconds’ worth of penalties in Saturday’s Sprint after defending robustly against Lewis Hamilton, in a move to help Haas team mate Nico Hulkenberg hold on to P7 up ahead.

There was then further trouble for Magnussen in Sunday’s race, during which he was handed a 10-second penalty for causing a collision with the Williams of Logan Sargeant.

These incidents have resulted in Magnussen’s penalty points creeping up to a total of 10. A driver who receives 12 points within a 12-month period will be given a race ban, meaning that Magnussen is increasingly at risk of this punishment.

Asked ahead of this weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix if he will adjust his driving in order to avoid this, Magnussen answered: “The next time is a race ban, so I think I’ll have to, but I don’t know. I think these situations where I’ve had to play the support role for my team mate, they have been paying off. It’s been kind of valuable to us.

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“I don’t love the way the rules are, that it’s possible [to get a race ban] – I would love it to not be possible at all. But since the rules are as they are – I didn’t make the rules – I think there’s stuff to be looked at there. From myself I’m on 10 points, so I have to be careful not to get a race ban.”

The 31-year-old will be hoping for a trouble-free weekend at Imola, a track that he previously experienced a good outing at when F1 last visited in 2022, having scored points in both the Sprint and Grand Prix on that occasion.

On whether the circuit will suit Haas’s 2024 car, Magnussen said: “I hope so. There [are] a few low but also medium-speed corners. Our car’s been reasonably good on most tracks this year, and I expect it to be decent here also. Hopefully we can have a good one.”

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Haas are currently sitting in P7 of the constructors’ standings, having scored seven points so far.