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F1 Canadian GP: Magnussen sets sights on Montreal points

Kevin Magnussen is determined to bounce back from a frustrating Monaco Grand Prix by claiming a top ten finish at F1's next stop, in Canada, next weekend.

Despite an inspired intermediate tyre choice, Monaco didn't bear the fruits that Dane had hoped for, as he became a casualty of the world's most famous street race, having first got involved in a needless collision with Daniil Kvyat and then crashed out on his own as a result of the damage to his Renault. That, however, was only the nadir of a tough weekend for the regie, which had had to pick up the pieces from three accidents in practice, including one for Magnussen, and had already seen its other car, piloted by Jolyon Palmer, exit the race as soon as the initial safety car withdrew to let racing begin.

To make matters worse for Magnussen, however, was the fact that he had been given first use of the newly uprated Renault V6 for the Monaco event, but never really got to exploit its improvements. While Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo took pole and challenged for victory with the same-spec power unit, Magnussen has already admitted that it is the RS16 chassis letting Renault down, but he hopes that the two-week break between Monaco and Montreal will allow the team to make the necessary adjustments to allow him to battle for points.

"[Monaco] was frustrating after the contact, so I prefer to look forward to Canada and beyond," the Dane claimed, "We had the potential to move forward and possibly get into the points, so it was an opportunity missed, but [Montreal] is a more power sensitive track than Monaco so the latest power unit should have more effect there. Hopefully, we have more time to get the set-up dialled-in and make use of the upgrades for the car. If we have a good weekend, certainly we want to be fighting for points."

Having admitted that watching the remaining laps of Monaco from the Renault garage was not a pleasant experience - 'I didn't need to watch the first half back as I knew what happened to me,' Magnussen quipped - the Dane has enjoyed a relatively calm build-up to Canada, and is looking forward to one of his favourite stops on the schedule.

"To be honest, it's almost a routine between races - I've been training, I've been in Enstone to spend time with my engineers and in the simulator and I also get some rest and relaxation," he noted, "The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a cool circuit with a semi-street track vibe to it, but it's quite challenging in its nature, with some rapid chicanes and big braking zones.

"Overall, it's a quite enjoyable circuit to drive and it usually offers a good race. When you look back there have been plenty of good races there - the 2011 race really sticks in my mind, where my old team-mate Jenson Button took the victory, so that was pretty cool! I was in the points when I raced there in 2014, so let's hope for a classic this year!"

Zdroj: crash.net