McLaren's 2014 rookie Kevin Magnussen believes the dramatic regulation changes for next season make it a "good year" to debut in Formula 1.
The 21-year-old also admitted that he doesn't feel any pressure to replicate the success of the last rookie to be run by the Woking-based outfit: Lewis Hamilton in 2007.
Magnussen has a strong record in feeder series and dominated the 2013 Formula Renault 3.5 championship to take the title by 60 points.
He was part of McLaren's Young Driver Programme but has been promoted to a race seat for next year. The Danish driver will replace Sergio Perez, who only managed one season at the team and is expected to seek refuge at Force India.
Debuting in F1 won't be easy, Magnussen knows that, but he expects the new 2014 rules to soften the impact of his inexperience. "It’ll be a new challenge for everyone, not just for me," he said.
"Everyone’s going to have to learn about the 2014 cars – not just myself. It’s a good year to come into F1.
"The fact that I won’t have as much experience as some of the other drivers actually counts a little bit less – of course, it’s still going to require a lot of hard work – and I’ll have a lot to learn – but so will everyone else, so that’s a positive for me."
He isn't fazed by the comparisons to Lewis Hamilton. In fact, he is encouraged by what the 2008 world champion achieved: "The fact that Lewis did exactly what I’m doing now is a positive for me.
"It shows that the team has been there before, and has already prepared a rookie for his grand prix debut. The fact that Lewis was so successful doesn’t raise the pressure for me, it just shows that it can be done, and that you can be successful as a rookie. That’s really encouraging."
The youngster has a busy winter of preparation ahead but is fully focused on his rookie year, which will start on March 16th in Australia: "Now that I’ve got the race seat, I’m fully focused on the work ahead of me. This winter will be all about preparing myself for the first test in January, and the first race in March. It’s about spending time with the engineers, driving the sim, and getting used to everything. It’s a lot of hard work – but I’m really enjoying it."
McLaren managing director Jonathan Neale believes his arrival will have a positive effect. "We’re very excited about having Kevin on the team," he said. "We now want him to come in and work really hard at the basics: he needs to understand that coming into F1 is just the start.
"He’s 21 – he’s got a lot to learn, we want to shelter him from the inevitable ups and downs of life in motorsport but still unleash the exciting potential that he’s got. You can identify that killer instinct in somebody – Kevin’s very hungry, but also very controlled."
Sporting director Sam Michael agrees, saying there is a real buzz within the team: "Kevin’s arrival is really exciting for the whole team – he represents the future. When you have a rookie come onboard – somebody who’s full of energy, who’s just won his lower-category championship, and who is desperate to prove himself – it creates a buzz within the team; people share his hopes and dreams. From a team point of view, it’s a fantastic move."
Magnussen will be partnered at McLaren by 2009 champion Jenson Button.
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| (c) Octane Photographic |
Magnussen has a strong record in feeder series and dominated the 2013 Formula Renault 3.5 championship to take the title by 60 points.
He was part of McLaren's Young Driver Programme but has been promoted to a race seat for next year. The Danish driver will replace Sergio Perez, who only managed one season at the team and is expected to seek refuge at Force India.
Debuting in F1 won't be easy, Magnussen knows that, but he expects the new 2014 rules to soften the impact of his inexperience. "It’ll be a new challenge for everyone, not just for me," he said.
"Everyone’s going to have to learn about the 2014 cars – not just myself. It’s a good year to come into F1.
"The fact that I won’t have as much experience as some of the other drivers actually counts a little bit less – of course, it’s still going to require a lot of hard work – and I’ll have a lot to learn – but so will everyone else, so that’s a positive for me."
He isn't fazed by the comparisons to Lewis Hamilton. In fact, he is encouraged by what the 2008 world champion achieved: "The fact that Lewis did exactly what I’m doing now is a positive for me.
"It shows that the team has been there before, and has already prepared a rookie for his grand prix debut. The fact that Lewis was so successful doesn’t raise the pressure for me, it just shows that it can be done, and that you can be successful as a rookie. That’s really encouraging."
The youngster has a busy winter of preparation ahead but is fully focused on his rookie year, which will start on March 16th in Australia: "Now that I’ve got the race seat, I’m fully focused on the work ahead of me. This winter will be all about preparing myself for the first test in January, and the first race in March. It’s about spending time with the engineers, driving the sim, and getting used to everything. It’s a lot of hard work – but I’m really enjoying it."
McLaren managing director Jonathan Neale believes his arrival will have a positive effect. "We’re very excited about having Kevin on the team," he said. "We now want him to come in and work really hard at the basics: he needs to understand that coming into F1 is just the start.
"He’s 21 – he’s got a lot to learn, we want to shelter him from the inevitable ups and downs of life in motorsport but still unleash the exciting potential that he’s got. You can identify that killer instinct in somebody – Kevin’s very hungry, but also very controlled."
Sporting director Sam Michael agrees, saying there is a real buzz within the team: "Kevin’s arrival is really exciting for the whole team – he represents the future. When you have a rookie come onboard – somebody who’s full of energy, who’s just won his lower-category championship, and who is desperate to prove himself – it creates a buzz within the team; people share his hopes and dreams. From a team point of view, it’s a fantastic move."
Magnussen will be partnered at McLaren by 2009 champion Jenson Button.
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