Breaking news
Formula 1 Italian GP
Magnussen: Disrespectful Alonso "thinks he's a god"
Kevin Magnussen has hit out at his Formula 1 rival Fernando Alonso in the aftermath of their run-in in qualifying, saying the Spaniard "laughed in my face" and “thinks he's a god”.
Valentin Khorounzhiy Jonathan Noble
Edited: Sep 1, 2018, 8:35 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Alonso tried to pass Magnussen round the outside into the first chicane on the final lap in Q2, but the pair ended up scrapping for position and ruining each other's laps as they both missed out on a Q3 berth.
The two-time champion laughed off the encounter on team radio, and aimed derisive comments at Magnussen after the session – with the Haas driver now firing back.
“I don't care to speculate why he did it. I think it was just pretty stupid and not necessary,” said Magnussen, who had previous disagreements with McLaren driver Alonso earlier this year.
“He thought he could have the perfect slipstream and overtake me. He gained, I don't know how many tenths - but you gain a lot if you do that.
“But I'm not going to let him pass me, and sacrifice my own lap. No way. I know he thinks he's a god, but no way.”
Alonso had pointed to Magnussen passing him on the out-lap as a cause of the incident.
“We were kind of six or eight cars, in a bit of a group,” Magnussen recalled. “And at the exit of Ascari Fernando was warming his brakes, I think, so not going fast.
“And I'm going fast, so just cruised past him. But then for some reason he decides to try and accelerate and get close to me, rather than create a gap, as everyone else is doing.
"Obviously he got a perfect slipstream and thought he could overtake into Turn 1 - but I'd rather hang myself.”
Asked about Alonso's jovial reaction on the radio, Magnussen said: “He came to me after qualifying and laughed to my face.
“Just outright disrespectful. Can't wait for him to retire.”
"He's talking about his laps being divine and whatnot. He literally thinks he's a god. It's pretty amusing."
When prompted, Magnussen also commented on the Spaniard's perceived tendency to compliment himself: “He's talking about his laps being divine and whatnot. He literally thinks he's a god. It's pretty amusing.”
The stewards investigated the run-in after the session and called up both drivers, but ultimately ruled that the incident “did not specifically constitute unnecessary impeding by either driver”.
“If you impede someone while you're on a push lap yourself, it's not impeding apparently,” Magnussen said. “That part is the same as with Kimi [Raikkonen] in France.
“Perhaps something we need to look at. I don't really mind, as long as it's the same for everyone, it's fine.
“It'd be interested to see, if it was the other way [around], how it would be. But [I] can only speculate.”
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Raikkonen allowed to race for Monza win - Vettel
Next article Verstappen: Upgraded Renault still "over a second off"
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Valentin Khorounzhiy
WTCR's April opener cancelled due to coronavirus
WTCR
WTCR
Hungaroring
WTCR's April opener cancelled due to coronavirus
Australian GP issues update on nine F1 paddock coronavirus tests
Formula 1
Formula 1
Australian GP
Australian GP issues update on nine F1 paddock coronavirus tests
Motorsport Games unveils 15 disciplines for 2020
General
General
Motorsport Games unveils 15 disciplines for 2020
More from
Fernando Alonso
F1 driver contracts: How long is each driver tied down for?
Formula 1
Formula 1
F1 driver contracts: How long is each driver tied down for?
Who slept worst last night: Fernando Alonso
Formula 1
Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
Who slept worst last night: Fernando Alonso
More from
McLaren
McLaren to upgrade MCL40 car at its bogey F1 track Las Vegas
Formula 1
Formula 1
Las Vegas GP
2 h
McLaren to upgrade MCL40 car at its bogey F1 track Las Vegas
Latest news
Kimi Antonelli meets Italian president Sergio Mattarella
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1 40 min
Kimi Antonelli meets Italian president Sergio Mattarella
How Qatar red flag helped Johann Zarco put Barcelona crash behind him
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Qatar GP
1 h
How Qatar red flag helped Johann Zarco put Barcelona crash behind him
McLaren to upgrade MCL40 car at its bogey F1 track Las Vegas
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Las Vegas GP
2 h
McLaren to upgrade MCL40 car at its bogey F1 track Las Vegas
Feature
Discover prime content
Top 10 F1 cars of the 1970s
Formula 1
By Kevin Turner
Top 10 F1 cars of the 1970s
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe