Magnussen got to know himself 'a little better' during F1's hiatus

©Haas

Kevin Magnussen has taken away a few positives from F1's forced hiatus, the Haas driver saying the experience provided him with a personal "learning opportunity".

Living in a suitcase is the norm for an F1 driver when the season is in full swing, with the sport travelling from one venue to the other and sponsorship commitments or factory visits during the week often keeping drivers on the move.

For Magnussen, the lengthy period of inactivity offered a few positive takeaways.

"I’d say just the fact I was able to stay in the one place for more than a few weeks and sleep in the same bed, wake up and have the same thing for breakfast, basically get into daily routines that I haven’t had for years," he explained in Haas' Austrian Grand Prix preview.

"I’d also say it was a learning opportunity, you get to know yourself a little better when you have all this time on your hands.

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"I didn’t know I’d enjoy this kind of daily routine as much as I did for example. I knew I’d miss driving but I didn’t realize just how much I miss driving.

"It’s been good to feel that, I knew I would, but I’ve always been busy racing."

Magnussen wasn't among those who spent F1's hiatus sharpening his skills in the virtual world. But the Dane did return to karting recently to gear up for this week's long-awaited kickoff in Austria.

"I’ve been away from karting for a lot of years," he said. "It really didn’t take me any time to get back into it and be on the pace again.

"It’s really been about 12 years since I was active in karting, with the odd occasion in-between in a kart. It only took a couple of runs and I was totally back into it.

"You never really forget it. It would have been better to be doing it every day, but motorsport isn’t a sport like that.

"You can’t compare it with tennis or golf – those athletes, if they missed a few months, would struggle going straight into a tournament if up against players who were training every day.

"In Formula One, nobody trains every day in the car, so I guess that’s what makes the difference – we’re all used to jumping straight in with not too much practice and getting on the pace.

"It’s the same for everyone so it’s not that big a factor I think."

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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.