Kevin Magnussen makes fun of the threat of a racing ban after an incident in qualifying

Haas driver Kevin Magnussen made fun of another meeting with the race stewards after qualifying for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

Both Magnussen and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri were summoned to the stewards after the meeting as the latter was under investigation for obstructing the Danish driver. Piastri was given a three-place grid penalty and lost his front row start for today’s race in Imola.

The incident occurred when Piastri left the pits and accidentally blocked Magnussen, who was in the middle of a fast lap, in the second and third corners of the circuit. The race stewards reviewed telemetry data, onboard videos and team communications and ultimately concluded that McLaren did not inform Piastri of Magnussen’s rapid action in a timely manner. Magnussen encountered Piastri with a speed difference of around 140 km/h, which made it necessary to take quick evasive action.

During an interview with ViaPlay after the meeting, Magnussen jokingly commented (quoted by Fastest Pitstop):

“It was nice to see the stewards again and to make sure they were OK.”

“It would be strange to spend a whole weekend without her.”

This came after Magnussen was handed five penalty points during the Miami Grand Prix weekend for various incidents in both the sprint race and the Grand Prix. The Danish driver now has ten points on his super license, meaning he is just two points away from being banned from racing. If that happens, Ferrari and Haas reserve driver Oliver Bearman, who is fighting for a permanent seat in 2025, are ready to step in.

Magnussen will start today’s race from 18th on the grid, while Piastri moves up the grid from 2nd to 5th.