Haas driver Kevin Magnussen has been slapped with a one-race ban following a contentious clash with Alpine's Pierre Gasly at the Italian Grand Prix.
The incident resulted in Magnussen receiving penalty points that pushed him over the limit for the season, triggering the automatic suspension.
The race itself at Monza was no walk in the park for Haas. Magnussen found himself in hot water after attempting to overtake Gasly at Turn 4. The move went awry as Magnussen locked up and made contact with the Alpine, a mistake that the stewards judged to be entirely his fault.
They noted that he did not execute the manoeuvre in a "safe and controlled manner," leading to another 10-second penalty for the Dane.
While Magnussen managed to cross the line in P10, securing a point, the real blow came with the two additional penalty points added to his licence. This brought his total to 12 points, an ominous milestone in Formula 1 that automatically triggers a one-race ban if reached within a 12-month period.
As a result, Magnussen will be sitting out the next Grand Prix in Azerbaijan, with the FIA formally confirming the suspension in an official document. The note stated: "The Super Licence of the driver of Car 20 is suspended for the next Competition of the 2024 FIA Formula One World Championship. Following this suspension, 12 penalty points will be removed."
This ban marks the first time since 2012 that an F1 driver has faced such a punishment. The last instance involved Romain Grosjean, who was sidelined for a race after causing a multi-car pile-up at the start of the Belgian Grand Prix.
"Happy with our race. I don’t know what’s going on with these penalties," Magnussen remarked. "We had a slight contact into Turn 4, no damage on either car. It had no consequence, nobody lost anything. We both missed the corner but, hey, we’re racing."
Despite his frustration, Magnussen remained upbeat about the team’s overall performance, noting the positive balance and strategy that helped them secure a point. However, he made it clear that he plans to address the penalties with the stewards, stating, “It doesn’t make any sense. It makes zero sense.”
With Magnussen now forced to sit out the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the team faces a tough decision on who will fill his seat, as the mid-season driver shuffle continues to add drama to an already unpredictable Formula 1 season.
Photo Credits: Formula One Official Media