With Kevin Magnussen moving to Haas for the 2017 Formula 1 season, his former employer Renault has had some pretty scathing words to say about him…
There’s no denying the fact Renault suffered a tough 2016 F1 campaign, as the French outfit took over Lotus and returned as a manufacturer.
Renault finished ninth in the standings last year with eight points, six of which were scored by Magnussen.
But, Renault managing director Cyril Abiteboul wasn’t very complimentary about the team’s now former driver in an interview with France’s Auto Hebdo.
It appeared when Magnussen moved to Haas that it was a simple parting of ways, but could this hint that he was actually let go by Renault? Possibly.
Abiteboul admitted he was dissatisfied with not only Magnussen’s performance on track but also his attitude. Ouch. Here’s what he said:
“Keeping Magnussen may have seemed like a logical choice in terms of keeping onboard a standard reference. But personally, I was disappointed by him. I was disappointed by his performance as well as by his attitude. He has undeniable talent but lacks discipline and commitment, and looks for excuses a bit too often.”
He also explained that Jolyon Palmer, who remains at Renault for 2017, improved through the race weekends and season, while Magnussen’s pace often dropped off:
“At many races, Joylon was nowhere on Friday only to steadily improve all weekend while Magnussen’s performance would start alright only to fall off thereafter. Palmer moves at his own pace, in F1 just like he did on GP2 where he needs several seasons to clinch the title, but he’s on an ascending line. Logically, he should be better in 2017.”
Those are some stern words about Magnussen from Renault, which is going through a major change at the moment after team principal Frederic Vasseur’s departure.