81 replies to this topic

[Risil]

Kevin Magnussen has given his exit interview to Autosport and I found a couple of his quotes fairly intriguing:
 

"It's hard to know how things are going to go," Magnussen told Autosport when reflecting on his time in F1. "When I started my F1 career in Melbourne 2014, I had pretty high expectations.

"I thought I was going to be fighting for the championship in my first year after that first race.

"You can't ever predict how things are going to go in Formula 1. You've just got to do the best, and enjoy it while it lasts."

 

Can I get an amen? Thinking about it I'm a little bit surprised that he thought he'd be fighting for the championship after round one of 2014 but we were all so naive then. He also mentions that he was set to drive for Force India that year until McLaren decided to plop him in a silver car, as they were then, instead.

 

There's also this:

 

 

Asked if there was one big decision he would make differently if he had another opportunity, Magnussen replied: "Yes, but I'm not going to dwell on it.

 

What is Kevin talking about? He doesn't say. Presumably it wasn't his passing up the opportunity to drive for Michael Andretti's Indycar team in 2015. Perhaps it was his decision to tell Nico Hulkenberg to go forth and multiply at the Hungarian Grand Prix one year. Maybe that wasn't a big decision though. Does anyone have any other suggestions? And generally, how will you remember Magnussen II?

 

(I should point out at this stage that he hasn't died but unless you follow IMSA you probably won't hear about him very much from now on.)

[jjcale]

I am not big on multi-generational involvement in F1 ... the son tends to be a pale shadow of the father ... and its usually too much of a reminder of how unmeritocratic the process of getting to F1 really is ... but I was happy when KMag got signed by Macca as his was one family that I felt genuinely had unfinished business in F1.

 

I would say he has done his dad proud...   

[Disgrace]

Perhaps the regret is declining the single-year offer he had at Renault for Haas?

[messy]

I think Magnussen more or less hit his shelf life in F1 and unlike others (one being his team-mate) who linger on for years and years and spend their entire careers in F1’s midfield where seventh place is a victory, he’s exited at an age where he can still make something of the talent he clearly has. I reckon he’ll do quite nicely in Indycar, probably. He’s got that toughness about him, that racer’s mentality.

Looking back, I think he showed a lot of promise at McLaren. I think out of the three McLaren ‘dumped future prodigies’ - Perez, Magnussen, Vandoorne, he probably did the best. He was really quick - edging Button in qualifying - and it was his race form that was up and down but when he was good, like at Sochi (he’s always been good there though), he looked really impressive. Melbourne, it kind of came to him but he did qualify fourth didn’t he to put himself in that position. And it was his debut. Hard to criticize much he did that season and I seem to remember there was quite a large number of people in McLaren who felt he should have been retained - just not Ron.

His comeback at Renault was decent too. He was brought in late in the day and the car was uselessly outdated but he put in some great drives - Sochi (7th) and Singapore (10th). That crash at Spa knocked the stuffing out of him I think and after that suddenly Jolyon Palmer - a driver F1 had already decided it didn’t rate - started to get in terms with him, so that hurt Kevin’s reputation even though he was comfortably the better that year.

It’s after that where I kind of lost faith that he’d make it. Haas should really have been the perfect fit for him but he was seriously underwhelming in 2017 then when he had a much stronger car in 2018 I don’t think either he or Grosjean did themselves many favours. I remember a well reported quote from Fernando Alonso where he said something like ‘the Haas drivers, who have the fourth best car and always go out in Q2’ and although a lot of that was just Fernando being Fernando, I thought there was an element of truth in it. He underachieved in that car less than Grosjean did, but the other problem was that Grosjean on his good days was quicker pretty much throughout their time there.

So there we are. I’ll miss his approach because he’s quite a ‘different’ character and I think it’s quite refreshing, but I’d struggle to argue he was anything more than a decently talented driver at this level but no cigar. That approach will take him places elsewhere I think, much more so than with Grosjean, Hulkenberg etc who are already mid thirties, probably a bit jaded and likely to fizzle out. Magnussen won’t do that.

[PlayboyRacer]

I reckon he’ll do quite nicely in Indycar, probably. He’s got that toughness about him, that racer’s mentality.

Agreed. I think it's the perfect place for his talent. He's a tough, hard racer. Bit of an old school vibe Magnussen has about him - I've always liked him and his approach. I hope he finds success in the states.

[as65p]

So there we are. I’ll miss his approach because he’s quite a ‘different’ character and I think it’s quite refreshing, but I’d struggle to argue he was anything more than a decently talented driver at this level but no cigar. That approach will take him places elsewhere I think, much more so than with Grosjean, Hulkenberg etc who are already mid thirties, probably a bit jaded and likely to fizzle out. Magnussen won’t do that.

TBH I'm often not quite convinced by those "tough talking" guys. Sure, Magnussen always talked hard, and mostly raced hard, but he didn't really have the talent so that it would pay him any dividends. More often than not, his "hard racing" only resulted in him losing position or even carnage.

 

IOW, the real "talking" is on track (or should be). It's no real use having a fighters mindset but lacking in ability.

[Lights]

Looking back, I think he showed a lot of promise at McLaren. I think out of the three McLaren ‘dumped future prodigies’ - Perez, Magnussen, Vandoorne, he probably did the best. He was really quick - edging Button in qualifying - and it was his race form that was up and down but when he was good, like at Sochi (he’s always been good there though), he looked really impressive. Melbourne, it kind of came to him but he did qualify fourth didn’t he to put himself in that position. And it was his debut. Hard to criticize much he did that season and I seem to remember there was quite a large number of people in McLaren who felt he should have been retained - just not Ron.

That's giving Magnussen too much credit. If taken into account that Perez wasn't a rookie, then perhaps there's a case to made. Otherwise, Perez was clearly closer to Button throughout the season, and particularly competitive in races. Magnussen in comparison was hit or miss, but mainly miss. It's easy to point out a few impressive races, but the reality is in most of them he wasn't near Button. Which for a rookie season can be forgiven. But he didn't do better than Perez at McLaren. Vandoorne is more difficult to compare (worse car, tougher teammate).

Edited by Lights, 12 January 2021 - 10:02.

[absinthedude]

I think KMag will be remembered as a decent enough driver who hauled in quite a few points, but who's temper was a significant flaw and who didn't quite possess sufficient speed to be a true success but who was fast enough to have a decently long F1 career.

 

Let me justify that. Like his father, he was once seen as a potential future WDC. He was part of the McLaren/Mercedes driver development programme and duly got his call up in 2014. At the time we still weren't totally sure whether McLaren were on the up, or on the slide. Their performance at the season opener was encouraging, and seems to have given Kevin the idea that it was going to be easier than it was. Subsequently he failed to match Button, scoring 50-something points to Button's 120. He did better than his dad, in that he at least followed some advice, didn't drive weird lines through corners and smoke cigarettes in the pub....but he never really demonstrated much improvement from that first season. Subsequently he carved out a decent career in midfield cars, but was all too often involved in altercations on and off track. Being difficult to pass is one thing, never ceding a position that's lost and turfing people off the track is another....his colourful language in interviews I generally saw as a bit childish but harmless and sometimes amusing. There is, after all, a world of difference between inviting a competitor with whom one has just crashed to "suck my balls" and bashing the hell out of them with his fists. 

 

Kevin did manage to do several decently respectable years with Renault and Haas, but never really showed that spark....he didn't do sufficient for another team to say "Ah, he's high on our list" when Haas needed to drop him in favour of someone with funding. 

 

I'd definitely say that the order is Perez > Magnussen > Vandoorne.....Kevin wasn't slow or bad....just wasn't good enough to enjoy a truly long career. I imagine he'll find a berth in another series. 

[Disgrace]

I remember Magnussen mainly for his dangerous defensive driving. I disagree he would succeed in IndyCar, I think he will quite simply be a menace. His attitude can't be romanticised into something it isn't, it was simply indicative that he wouldn't learn. And he didn't. I won't miss him.

[Ross Stonefeld]

Kevin Magnussen has given his exit interview to Autosport and I found a couple of his quotes fairly intriguing:


Can I get an amen? Thinking about it I'm a little bit surprised that he thought he'd be fighting for the championship after round one of 2014 but we were all so naive then. He also mentions that he was set to drive for Force India that year until McLaren decided to plop him in a silver car, as they were then, instead.

There's also this:


What is Kevin talking about? He doesn't say. Presumably it wasn't his passing up the opportunity to drive for Michael Andretti's Indycar team in 2015. Perhaps it was his decision to tell Nico Hulkenberg to go forth and multiply at the Hungarian Grand Prix one year. Maybe that wasn't a big decision though. Does anyone have any other suggestions? And generally, how will you remember Magnussen II?

(I should point out at this stage that he hasn't died but unless you follow IMSA you probably won't hear about him very much from now on.)

The Force India thing seems new. Wasn't he World Series in 13 and was going to test GP2 but then pulled out of the post season test last minute and then was suddenly replacing Perez?

[messy]

That's giving Magnussen too much credit. If taken into account that Perez wasn't a rookie, then perhaps there's a case to made. Otherwise, Perez was clearly closer to Button throughout the season, and particularly competitive in races. Magnussen in comparison was hit or miss, but mainly miss. It's easy to point out a few impressive races, but the reality is in most of them he wasn't near Button. Which for a rookie season can be forgiven. But he didn't do better than Perez at McLaren. Vandoorne is more difficult to compare (worse car, tougher teammate).

You do have to take that into account though, don’t you?

Perez had two full seasons of F1. He’d already been on the podium three times, Kevin came straight from FR3.5.

He racked up penalties, he was up and down in the races, but when he joined the dots he was really impressive.

[Lerdes]

At the beginning I did not liked the guy. But year after year he growed to me and now I'm sad that he never had a real chance of a great car. Not even a good car (maybe one Haas generation but that's arguable). He is a real character and I hope he doesn't end up in a lower indycar drive. Would be great if he could do a Zanardi over there...

[Burtros]

I liked KMag at the start, but I was a Button fan and when it came down to the battle for the seat I was pleased it went to JB. Being objective as I can about their battle, I concede it was close and if McLaren has gone with Kevin over JB it wouldn’t have been an atrocity. Overall, I think JB edged their battle, and Kevin’s performance certainly contributed to Renault picking him up a year later.

Interesting thought, I’m not sure if a second year at McLaren with that awful first Honda lump would have been good for him at all. I’d hedge a bet that leaving McLaren when he did yielded a longer F1 career than it would had he stayed.

[Baddoer]

Magnusse, he did well considering the circumstances? Sometimes being bold, sometimes borderline ambitious but generally avoiding success. There were some good drives but not really any of brilliant ones.

[Marklar]

I found him kinda disappointing at both McLaren and Renault. The last few years at Haas were better again, but then again Grosjean is a weird benchmark.

[absinthedude]

I found him kinda disappointing at both McLaren and Renault. The last few years at Haas were better again, but then again Grosjean is a weird benchmark.

 

Both drivers are rather inconsistent. Grosjean is a weird benchmark. During his time with Lotus he put in some genuinely excellent drives and lest we forget on a couple of occasions came close to becoming a grand prix winner. His first year or two with Haas were similarly peppered with some giant killing performances. But he's always been up and down, and as Kevin seemed to become Haas' favourite Romain's performances got increasingly poor....making him a strange benchmark as you say. 

 

Kevin is one of those guys who didn't quite have the talent to ever get a top drive, and was also too stubborn on track to gain a reputation as a "safe pair of hands". His F1 career has likely simply just reached it's natural end. 

[Jexz]

What is Kevin talking about? He doesn't say. Presumably it wasn't his passing up the opportunity to drive for Michael Andretti's Indycar team in 2015. Perhaps it was his decision to tell Nico Hulkenberg to go forth and multiply at the Hungarian Grand Prix one year. Maybe that wasn't a big decision though. Does anyone have any other suggestions? And generally, how will you remember Magnussen II?

 

I think it could be having a better management/PR setup from the start. He parted with his manager Dorthe Madsen, and never really had a new setup with someone who could kick in some doors and make Kevin a topic in the paddock.

[FTB]

His performance against Palmer in 2016 was very disappointing, especially as Palmer was basically dominated by Hulkenberg the next year.

[Spillage]

I think ultimately Magnussen's biggest issue was that he wasn't really quick enough. I do feel for him though  - thrown in with a world champion teammate as a rookie and then getting dropped at the end of that season must have been pretty hard.

 

It is a shame that often a driver is over-promoted when young and then seen as damaged goods when that doesn't work out. I don't think it would have made much difference in Kevin's case, but it's perfectly possible for a driver to bloom late in their career. Imagine if his first teammate Jenson Button had been written off after his difficult 2001 season at Benetton. Hopefulyl Perez can demonstrate this season that a driver shouldn't be written off even if they do struggle in a big team when they're young.

[absinthedude]

I think ultimately Magnussen's biggest issue was that he wasn't really quick enough. I do feel for him though  - thrown in with a world champion teammate as a rookie and then getting dropped at the end of that season must have been pretty hard.

 

It is a shame that often a driver is over-promoted when young and then seen as damaged goods when that doesn't work out. I don't think it would have made much difference in Kevin's case, but it's perfectly possible for a driver to bloom late in their career. Imagine if his first teammate Jenson Button had been written off after his difficult 2001 season at Benetton. Hopefulyl Perez can demonstrate this season that a driver shouldn't be written off even if they do struggle in a big team when they're young.

 

DId Perez struggle? He scored 49 points to Button's 73. That's 67% of Button's total....pretty respectable for a young driver against a recent WDC. 

 

Keven scored 55 to Button's 126. A whisker over 43%....not really up to scratch. 

 

Even Albon managed 49% of Max's total last year, and was roundly criticised for not being good enough. 

 

Kevin wasn't bad....but he wasn't sufficiently consistent or cool-headed to enjoy a long career in F1.

[NixxxoN]

I suppose his regret is to have signed for Haas, although I dont think he has been in general good enough to deserve better.

It's fair to say that he was unlucky at the start of his career, to be compared alongside the likes of Button first and then Alonso. No chance against them

 

He can be somewhat happy though, to have been 6 years racing in F1, unlike other comparable drivers like Vandoorne who only could do 2.

Edited by NixxxoN, 13 January 2021 - 14:45.

[FirstnameLastname]

He done fok smash my door

Nothing comes close.

[DanardiF1]

I remember Magnussen mainly for his dangerous defensive driving. I disagree he would succeed in IndyCar, I think he will quite simply be a menace. His attitude can't be romanticised into something it isn't, it was simply indicative that he wouldn't learn. And he didn't. I won't miss him.

I agree on the defensive moves and Indycar, they're much more prescriptive about what you can and can't do than in F1 so I could see him falling foul of those rules quite often...

 

It'll be interesting to see how he does in IMSA. I think he's a better driver than Felipe Nasr for example and he has acquitted himself incredibly well in sportscars, so I expect Magnussen to be pretty hot, especially with the advice his dad can give him.

[jgrwill]

6 years in F1, Comming from a small country driving against some of the World best drivers...
Not bad at all, only 20 on the grid...

But a lot in here make it Sound like a failure.

Being British or have a billionaire dad could have changed the outcome...

[Nathan]

He still had the advantage of the experienced and connected father, but agree talk here is too negative.

 

Looking back I'm not sure what other options existed.  There was Porsche LM, Andretti and don't forget Herta's team as well. I think his only other F1 option was Manor?  One must think it was not going to Indy after McLaren or Renault, but I don't know why you'd regret that with 10 more years in the tank.

Edited by Nathan, 14 January 2021 - 01:14.

[MikeTekRacing]

Magnussen was not bad at all. 

What is strange is that people kept calling Haas to replace their drivers, but I always thought the drivers were the least of their problems. 

[noikeee]

He's just yet another of many decent midfield drivers who were doing okay, and didn't really deserve to drop out of F1 just because they were stuck in a bad car losing reputation and weren't the latest hottest new prospect.

Nico Hulkenberg (who is better than him, btw). Paul Di Resta. Adrian Sutil. Kamui Kobayashi. Jean Eric Vergne. Alex Rossi. Timo Glock. Sebastian Buemi. Cristiano da Matta. Ukyo Katayama. Christian Fittipaldi. Stefano Modena. Eric van de Poele. I could be here all day.

Is he a lost superstar? No. He lacked the last 3 tenths and drove like a complete wanker.

[RA2]

Both should have been out after 2018

Edited by RA2, 14 January 2021 - 03:14.

[ARTGP]

Magnussen was not bad at all. 

What is strange is that people kept calling Haas to replace their drivers, but I always thought the drivers were the least of their problems. 

 

The drivers had a series of run ins with one another in '19. That's really what drew the ire. Then Romain always had his antics....and Kevin has his own share or overly exuberent defense in prior years. There was really not anything special about the pairing anymore. And that's why neither are with Haas anymore. Say what you want about money being the reason....but the Haas duo was just not all that special. Haas would have sat someone like Hamilton, Verstappen in their car with no backing if it was an option. They'd have made it work. That says it all really

Edited by ARTGP, 14 January 2021 - 03:49.

[Baddoer]

He's just yet another of many decent midfield drivers who were doing okay, and didn't really deserve to drop out of F1 just because they were stuck in a bad car losing reputation and weren't the latest hottest new prospect.

Nico Hulkenberg (who is better than him, btw). Paul Di Resta. Adrian Sutil. Kamui Kobayashi. Jean Eric Vergne. Alex Rossi. Timo Glock. Sebastian Buemi. Cristiano da Matta. Ukyo Katayama. Christian Fittipaldi. Stefano Modena. Eric van de Poele. I could be here all day.

Hulkenberg is a strange one. Sure, he did not set world alight in Renault against Riccardo, but he also jumped into a completely new car have none of racing practice in six months and put it into second row just behind Mercedes duo. Does lacking a podium finish reflect his abilities? I don't know.

[BRG]

DId Perez struggle? He scored 49 points to Button's 73. That's 67% of Button's total....pretty respectable for a young driver against a recent WDC. 

 

Keven scored 55 to Button's 126. A whisker over 43%....not really up to scratch. 

 

Even Albon managed 49% of Max's total last year, and was roundly criticised for not being good enough. 

It's all subjective, isn't it?  When rookie Lance Stroll scored 40 pts to his nearly-WDC team-mate Massa's 43 pts in 2017, he was roundly denounced as a total w-anchor.

[messy]

I mean, I think Stroll's 2017 is a very good example of the need to look at performances as well as just the points table. See also Kvyat v Ricciardo in 2015 and Hamilton v Button in 2012. For every weekend Stroll looked impressive he'd have three where he was knocked out in Q1 and was miles behind Felipe.

So that's probably where the subjectivity comes in - what was weird about Magnussen in 2014 (and 2016 for that matter) was that if anything he sometimes looked a little bit meek in close combat, certainly not an accusation you'd have levelled at him in his more recent years!

Edited by messy, 14 January 2021 - 13:44.

[MikeTekRacing]

The drivers had a series of run ins with one another in '19. That's really what drew the ire. Then Romain always had his antics....and Kevin has his own share or overly exuberent defense in prior years. There was really not anything special about the pairing anymore. And that's why neither are with Haas anymore. Say what you want about money being the reason....but the Haas duo was just not all that special. Haas would have sat someone like Hamilton, Verstappen in their car with no backing if it was an option. They'd have made it work. That says it all really

nothing special about their pairing? Sure. But it's not like the car is anything special anyway. 
Grosjean crashes a lot and makes a lot of mistakes, but he's never been slow. Magnussen was a lot of time a d!ck when defending, but not that slow either.

So even if both guys were inconsistent, the fact the car was always nowhere near the top recently means they left little speed on the table.

 

Would a Ham/Ric/Verstappen driver do better? Sure, but it would cost vs bring money, and probably not worth it before the team got any of their tech issues solved.

I am pretty sure they could have got the Hulk..but it costs money and the driver has to want to actually drive that POS.

Grosjean and Magnussen were quite a bit better than their car

[Montie]

Ah the hate

[messy]

Ah the hate

At least he gets people talking. I’ll miss him. Far too many PR puppets among the drivers these days.

[Montie]

At least he gets people talking. I’ll miss him. Far too many PR puppets among the drivers these days.

Magnussen is a pure racer and had more personality that 80 % of the grid.

[jgrwill]

Well Raikonen is loved for his “no bullshit” talking and driving, like Magnussen that I miss in a lot of the other drivers.
Rarely you heard Magnussen complain when he was run of track.

His wide albows and some calls him wanchor ?????

I see that as fight and often because he placed that Haas racer in positions where it didn’t belong....
The material was in many races too weak compared to where Magnussen got it after lap 0-10


Hulks maniac crash in spa at the start is somehow “forgotten”
Mag never did anything close to that !!

Edited by jgrwill, 15 January 2021 - 05:19.

[Peat]

Hulks maniac crash in spa at the start is somehow “forgotten”
Mag never did anything close to that !!

 

I must admit, I must have forgotten because I don't know what you're talking about. 

[dweller23]

I must admit, I must have forgotten because I don't know what you're talking about. 

Didn't Hulkenberg just run straight into Alonso which then flew into Leclerc's car? A "mistake" that could've easily left somebody hurt badly. Magnussen's antics do not even come close to it.

[jcbc3]

I must admit, I must have forgotten because I don't know what you're talking about. 

 

https://www.formula1...C8q0S2CEem.html

[absinthedude]

It's all subjective, isn't it?  When rookie Lance Stroll scored 40 pts to his nearly-WDC team-mate Massa's 43 pts in 2017, he was roundly denounced as a total w-anchor.

 

Not by everyone...and certainly not by me. 

 

I agree with the idea that Kevin is certainly a decent midfield driver but doesn't quite have anything special enough to go further. Like di Resta, or the aforementioned Katayama, Modena, C. Fittipaldi et al....his career in F1 petered out.

[messy]

Didn't Hulkenberg just run straight into Alonso which then flew into Leclerc's car? A "mistake" that could've easily left somebody hurt badly. Magnussen's antics do not even come close to it.

Sorry, I think looking at their F1 careers, Kevin has clearly been involved in far more ‘incidents’ than Hulk and I speak as someone who likes Kevin. Any driver can have one isolated mistake, clumsy move, etc but Kevin is an aggressive little bugger and his approach has crossed the line far more regularly than most of his peers, Hulkenberg included.

[BRG]

Ah the hate

Hate?  What hate? Where?

 

Oh, by 'hate' you mean mild criticism, don't you?  

[FirstnameLastname]

Like father like son. Promised much, delivered short.

[Peat]

https://www.formula1...C8q0S2CEem.html

 

Oh yeah. I didn't even recall that he was involved in that one tbh. Harsh penalty i'd say. That was definately one of the (many) times the the stewards were swaying in the 'penalise based on outcome rather than offence' breeze. 

 

I would rank KMag's weaving/squeezing antics as more dangerous as they demonstrate intent. 

Edited by Peat, 16 January 2021 - 08:50.

[RA2]

He does not want to be remembered for "suck ** **lls" comment, but I dont remember anything else of his 7 years

[noikeee]

Didn't Hulkenberg just run straight into Alonso which then flew into Leclerc's car? A "mistake" that could've easily left somebody hurt badly. Magnussen's antics do not even come close to it.

Imagine someone missing their braking point by mistake once in a 10 years career.

Whilst other drivers push others into walls at 300kph on purpose. Totally the same thing.

[absinthedude]

Hulkenberg had a small number of big accidents where you could say he was responsible. So too have virtually all the grid. Hulk may not be any more a future WDC than Kevin, but he's known as a safe pair of hands. Which is why he'll still be top choice as a substitute, should such services be required in 2021. 

 

Kevin probably has similar speed, and has a broadly similar performance level. But he's certainly been less "well behaved" on the track. Aggressive, sometimes crossing the line in my view. Perhaps like his dad in the sense that hew is too stubborn to change his ways. Good, but not quite good enough that it's likely we'll see him in an F1 race again. In that sense, Hulk's record works in his favour because while he's not anyone's first choice...he is often somewhere on the list. 

[Disgrace]

Imagine someone missing their braking point by mistake once in a 10 years career.

Whilst other drivers push others into walls at 300kph on purpose. Totally the same thing.

 

Yeah, intent matters. You can create a huge accident through an unintended error, and get away with it after a move made through intended malice and/or recklessness, but the difference still matters. And Magnussen's general racing demeanour finds itself in the latter category.

[KWSN - DSM]

Everything I say here have to be held against me being a Magunssen fan.

 

As a fan I would have liked (wanted) him to be a great driver, he was not. He was a driver under the very top, the equal of Sainz, Gasly, Hulkenberg. Perez, Ocon, Bottas, all of whom people will agree and disagree on based on their personal likes. Over his 119 races he had 5 where he got a penalty for his driving during the race, I have not looked at how that stack up against any other driver, so no idea if a lot, a little or average.

 

I do not think he was rough on track, in a day an age where we decry the lack of racing he would not give a spot up, if you wanted to overtake you had to earn it. Yes there were the occasional coming together, but no more than most in the mid- and rear end of the field.  The subjective 'he was a goon' does not match the penalties handed out, and not handed out over his career.

 

Magnussen have a classified percentage equal to or better than the 2020 field - To a degree he and Hulkenberg are often measured against each other, he has a higher classified percentage than Hulkenberg, but better to the point of being a statistical even at 82% and 8%.

 

By this thread having the activity it does, he obviously evoke emotions even after leaving F1.

 

At the end of his career he got less from F1 than I had expected, he showed himself to be a solid just under the top layer of drivers driver, a safe pair of hands who would on any given day give what the car could, and sometimes drag more from it than expectations of what it was capable of (Hungary 2020 stand out) - He will be around racing for many years, his talent should allow for him to win races and championships, in Sportscars as in F1 being in the right seat at the right time helps, WEC wins and WEC Championship, possibly a Le Mans win seems very possible to me.