Pre Race
IT’S SPA TIME 
For some, a spa is a relaxing wellness pleasure. For race fans, it’s the name of an adrenaline-pumping Formula 1 track. This weekend, Spa-Francorchamps hosts the Belgian Grand Prix, it’s the last race before the summer break – and it’s also one of MoneyGram Haas F1 Team driver Kevin Magnussen’s absolute favorites.
“It’s always exciting going to Spa, and it’s the closest to a home race – at least geographically – for me. It’s a circuit that everyone enjoys. Eau Rouge is a thrill, although it’s a pretty easy corner technically. We’ve been efficient on long straights, so our strengths should come out and shine here. The weather is often unpredictable, so that can be challenging, but hopefully with our car, which by now has proven to be good at all tracks so far, we can have a good race there,” said Kevin Magnussen.
DID YOU KNOW THAT … Connecting the towns of Francorchamps, Malmedy, and Stavelot, the old Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps was a 14.9km fearsome road course. The first race was held in the 1920s, the track was on the calendar during Formula 1’s inaugural season in 1950, and it remained active until 1970, when it was abandoned due to growing safety concerns. The new and shorter circuit – still a 7km layout with long straights, challenging corners, and high elevation – has hosted the Belgian Grand Prix every year since 1985, making it an absolute classic.
Race Recap
“I think we’ve completed the first half of the season well”
Spa-Francorchamps was not as good as expected for Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg, who finished 15th and 19th respectively in the Belgian Formula 1 Grand Prix – the last race before the summer break.
“Not what we had hoped for, unfortunately. I think we had a decent race; the one-stop strategy worked fine. I can’t say we did anything wrong, we just weren’t fast enough. We thought this track was going to be good for us, but we’ve been surprised many times,” said Kevin Magnussen.
“Overall, I think the team has completed the first half of the season very well. After ending last year 10th, we’re now 7th in the constructors’ championship. Like anyone else in the Formula 1 paddock, I’m looking forward to the summer break – and then looking forward to some races where we’ll score some more points.”
Have a nice and well-deserved vacation, Kevin! We can’t wait to see you back on track again!
