170-race Formula 1 driver’s team was ‘pretty cross’ with him after the Miami Grand Prix

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As with every Formula 1 race during the 2024 season, there were plenty of talking points to dissect when the chequered flag flew at the end of Sunday’s race.

Sprint Race weekends create many extra narratives, but all eyes were on the McLaren garage after Lando Norris secured his first-ever F1 victory.

Speaking on the Autosport Podcast, journalist Alex Kalinauckas shared that the mood was much more tense in another team’s garage.

The driver who was at the centre of everything in Miami was Kevin Magnussen.

The Danish driver was taking part in his 170^th Grand Prix and was using all of that experience in both the Sprint Race and Sunday’s Grand Prix to try and protect his position at all costs.

That wasn’t exactly the most popular decision in the paddock and Kalinauckas has suggested that Magnussen’s own Haas team was quite cross him in Miami.

Not necessarily for his behaviour on the track, but because of what he was saying off it.

READ MORE: Haas driver Kevin Magnussen’s life outside F1 from wife and daughters to net worth

Haas ‘pretty cross’ with Kevin Magnussen after the Miami Grand Prix

Kevin Magnussen started making headlines in Miami during the Sprint Race as he battled with Lewis Hamilton.

Both Haas drivers were running in the points, benefitting from a chaotic start to the race and Magnussen was tasked with keeping the Mercedes behind him to protect Nico Hulkenberg.

He wasn’t impressed with his teammate however, criticising him after the race for cutting the chicane and breaking the DRS, leaving him vulnerable to Hamilton and those around him.

Magnussen’s defensive driving was stubborn, to say the least, and while Hamilton was complimentary when asked about the battle, the Dane picked up 30 seconds’ worth of penalties for leaving the track and gaining an advantage and exceeding track limits.

After the race, the 31-year-old said that he was being a ‘team player’ with his driving style, although admitted he didn’t want to race like that.

Haas are understood to be ‘pretty cross’ with Magnussen for saying that they would encourage him to drive the way he did in Miami.

That’s before getting to his antics in Sunday’s Grand Prix and the race-defining incident he was involved in.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Haas F1 Team from team principal to Ferrari relationship

Kevin Magnussen gives Lando Norris a helping hand in his maiden Formula 1 victory

Speaking about the Danish driver’s actions in Miami, Kalinauckas said: “What won’t have helped him [Kevin Magnussen] this weekend is I’m led to believe that Haas is pretty cross with him for what he did and said after the Sprint Race.

“He basically was just like, ‘Yeah I did it for the team, everything you saw that was outrageous and over the line, I did it because the team needs it’.

“And the team were like, we didn’t tell you to do it Kevin!

“Also, Kevin was a little bit unfortunate in that Nico Hulkenberg did jump the chicane as Magnussen later did, I’m fairly sure he maintained DRS as I think it was [Oscar] Piastri ahead, there was no investigation and no penalty.

“Magnussen gets that, does the same thing and gets slapped with a penalty for leaving the track and gaining a lasting advantage.

“So, it’s more stewarding inconsistencies that are very frustrating, but Haas won’t have appreciated that from Magnussen.”

Miami Grand Prix defined by Kevin Magnussen’s crash into Logan Sargeant

Haas might have been cross with Magnussen even without his questionable comments in Miami as he once again cost himself any chance of scoring points midway through the race.

He misjudged his battle with Logan Sargeant and didn’t yield after attempting a first-corner overtake, making contact and sending the American into the barriers.

Magnussen was handed another two penalties – one for causing a collision and another for not changing his tyres when entering the pit lane under safety car conditions – and has now accumulated 10 penalty points.

It means he’s closing in on a ban although McLaren team principal Andrea Stella believes he should already be sitting out a race following his questionable battle with Hamilton.

Oliver Bearman will be testing the new Haas car in FP1 for the first time in Imola, returning to Formula 1 since his brilliant drive for Ferrari in Saudi Arabia.

If Magnussen tries another ambitious move in Imola and gets it wrong, he may end up missing the race in Monaco as a result.