Magnussen admits lacking confidence in opening rounds

In brief

Magnussen admits to ‘lacking confidence’

Magnussen has been out-qualified by new team mate Nico Hulkenberg in all three rounds of the 2023 season so far, failing to reach Q3 once while Hulkenberg has only missed out in the final qualifying phase in Jeddah.

Despite taking points in the race in Saudi Arabia, Magnussen sits behind Hulkenberg in the drivers’ championship. Asked if he was less confident in the team’s VF-23 than he was in last year’s car, Magnussen said “yeah, I think so.”

“I think we’ve found it for qualifying and the race, or all of the three weekends we’ve had so far, but we haven’t started off in the right place with the set-up,” he explained. “Then you lack a little bit of confidence, because if you start in FP1 pretty close to what you’re going to run in qualifying, you get a lot of laps with that car and that balance and you can optimise your driving style around that. And it’s never optimum going into qualifying with a different set up, a new set-up you haven’t tried.

“So I think that’s the target for us – to hit the ground running a little closer to what we are going to run in qualifying and the race and hopefully that’s going to be a step forward for us.”

Hamilton’s thrill watching brother Nic race at Donington

Lewis Hamilton described his experience as a fan watching his brother Nic Hamilton race to his career-best finish in the British Touring Car Championship last weekend at Donington Park.

The seven-times world champion travelled to the midlands circuit to spectate the opening round of the series where his brother was competing. Nic Hamilton, who lives with cerebral palsy, secured his best ever finish in the championship in sixth place in race two.

“My brother, who I’m incredibly proud of, continues to be such a great voice,” Hamilton said in yesterday’s FIA press conference. “Every year he raises his own money because, obviously, racing in a series and in a sport where there is no access for people who particularly are disabled. And he stands for so much.

“He’s been fighting to try and make up for the disability he has with his legs, and it’s a continuous fight. But he got sixth in the race. And I was just standing in the crowd just watching this as a fan. I was so…