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Magnussen has no bad blood with McLaren and Renault

Haas' Kevin Magnussen harbors no bad feelings towards McLaren and Renault despite the "tough times" he endured with both outfits.

Magnussen was promoted to F1 by McLaren in 2014, scoring an impressive second-place finish with the team in Mebourne on his debut.

That was as good as it got for the Dane however who was sidelined by McLaren boss Ron Dennis at the end of the year.

Renault then picked up Magnussen in 2016, but again, the Dane was dropped after a single season, but fortunately found refuge at Haas alongside Romain Grosjean.

"I was put on the bench at McLaren and it was really tough, but it’s the team that gave me the chance in Formula 1, and I’m still very grateful for that," he told Denmark's BT.

"Renault was the one that gave me another chance when I was actually smoked out of Formula 1, so I can’t thank them enough."

Magnussen's contract with Haas expires at the end of the current year. Could he ever consider a return to either one of his former outfits?

"The history with those two teams doesn’t scare me, I am completely open to all possibilities.

"Although I had some tough times with Renault and McLaren, I have great respect for both teams.

"For my part, neither McLaren nor Renault have burnt bridges, nor do I believe they think so. In any case the leadership has changed in both teams."

Indeed, Ron Dennis has long departed McLaren while at Renault, ex-team boss Fred Vasseur, the man Magnussen found himself at odds with during his spell with the French outfit, has gone on to manage Alfa Romeo's fortunes in F1.

"Fred Vasseur, who was the boss when I drove at Renault and part of the whole slightly tense environment, is today, for example, the boss at Alfa Romeo.

"Fred and I had our disputes then, but today it is high fives every time we meet. Fortunately, all the good stuff overshadows the controversy that was there too."

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Michael Delaney

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