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Magnussen: 'Just let us fight our battles!'

Haas' Kevin Magnussen believes drivers - including himself - are handed too many penalties in Formula 1, describing the lack of leniency as "nonsense".

The Dane has found himself on the receiving end of his peers' criticism after run-ins with Nico Hulkenberg, Fernando Alonso and others.

The former publicly confronted the Haas driver in Hungary after Magnussen had run the Hulk wide during the race. Accusing him of an unsportsmanlike attitude, K-Mag responded with the now famous "Suck my balls, honey!"

Haas boss defends 'bad boy' Magnussen... again.

Alonso also struggled with the Dane's uncompromising attitude last Sunday, quipping over the radio that Hulkenberg was right, "Magnussen is an idiot"!

But the Haas driver isn't making any excuses for his on-track conduct and believes there is generally too much interference from the stewards.

"People must not think that the highway is more dangerous than what we do," he told Germany's Sport Bild.

"On the track, we have too many rules. Clearly we need rules, but not every single manoeuvre (should be) questioned," he insists.

"The fact that you are not allowed to push anyone out of the track on a straight line is reasonable," Magnussen explained.

"But there is a lot of stuff that is complete nonsense. They should just let us fight our battles on the track."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.