Belgian Grand Prix Grid Penalty Imposed on Magnussen for Obstructing Leclerc

During the second qualifying round (Q2), Magnussen collided with the barrier while navigating Speaker’s Corner, and despite the damage to his Haas, he continued on the racecourse, blocking Leclerc’s path considerably.

Leclerc expressed his dissatisfaction over the team radio and demanded a penalty for Magnussen.

Upon reviewing the incident post-session, the stewards handed Magnussen a three-position grid penalty for the upcoming Sunday race, stating that he and his Haas team should have been more careful not to disrupt the Ferrari.

The stewards noted in their decision: “Magnussen veered off-course at Turn 9 and collided with the barrier. Subsequently, he returned to and remained on the dry line.

Leclerc, who was running a speedy lap, approached Magnussen who didn’t make room until Turn 16.

Magnussen reasoned that shifting onto the wet at high speed, making space for Leclerc, was unsafe, particularly during the turns from 11 to 15.

The stewards observed that Magnussen was not warned by his team about Leclerc’s proximity until the latter was nearly at his tail at Turn 10. The team also urged him to push harder as he needed to reach the line for another lap.

Regardless of whether it was Magnussen’s failure to slow down and move aside following his crash, or the team’s delayed information that could have allowed him to yield earlier, or the command to press on with the lap; the stewards concluded that he unnecessarily obstructed Leclerc.”

Kevin Magnussen, Haas VF-23

Photo by: Alessio Morgese

Due to the penalty, Magnussen slipped from the 13th to the 16th place on the grid, as the damage from his collision with the wall was too severe to improve his final lap and move on to Q3.

When questioned about his mishap by F1 Flow.com, Magnussen responded, “I collided with the barrier at the exit of Turn 9 and the car was damaged, including the rear wing and the floor. I managed to get another try, but naturally, it was with a damaged car.”

He added, “I think I handled it well considering, but of course, I shouldn’t have been off the track. The car was quite damaged, and I ended up in the tyre wall.”

Having had time to cool down and re-evaluate the event, pole-sitter Leclerc appeared more sympathetic to the challenging position Magnussen was in.

Leclerc admitted, “With only one dry line, it’s quite tough to move outside of it on slicks. Normally, you would shift away from the racing line, but under such conditions, it’s not so straightforward.”

Further reporting by Adam Cooper.

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More about Belgian GP Grid Penalty

• F1’s Official Statement on Magnussen’s Penalty
• Detailed Coverage on the Belgian GP Incident by BBC Sport
• Leclerc’s Reaction to the Incident via ESPN
• Kevin Magnussen’s Career Highlights and Statistics on Formula1.com
• Charles Leclerc’s Career Highlights and Statistics on Formula1.com