Source:
REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed
[Saba
Sports News] The 2024 F1 Saudi Grand Prix concluded with a victory for Max
Verstappen of Red Bull, who secured the championship from pole position,
marking his second consecutive win of the new season. However, the race was not
without controversy, as Haas driver Kevin Magnussen’s slow blocking tactics
after being penalized drew attention. Magnussen strategically impeded other
drivers to create an opportunity for his teammate Nico Hulkenberg to make a pit
stop and maintain his position ahead of the trailing pack. Ultimately,
Hülkenberg finished in tenth place, earning a valuable point for the Haas team.
Alan Permane, the race director for Toro Rosso, expressed dissatisfaction with
Magnussen’s behavior, stating that he intentionally drove in front of Yuki
Tsunoda when leaving the track and deliberately slowed his pace by two seconds
in one lap. Permane deemed this conduct as unsportsmanlike and contrary to the
spirit of fair play. He emphasized the need to discuss this issue with the FIA,
as it could potentially lead to other teams adopting similar negative tactics
in future races. During the race, Magnussen overtook Yuki Tsunoda on the 17th
lap, already aware of his 10-second penalty. However, on the 22nd lap,
Magnussen received another 10-second penalty for illegal overtaking,
effectively ending his chances of scoring points. Throughout the race, the Haas
team repeatedly instructed Magnussen via radio to slow down and hinder the
drivers behind him, clearly sacrificing his race to benefit Hülkenberg. Some
fans commented that teams will always seek advantages in any given situation,
which is why regulators aim to prevent the exploitation of such loopholes by
individuals with ulterior motives.