Kevin Magnussen has thanked McLaren for the education it provided him with in F1 despite a slightly bitter departure from the team.
McLaren boss Ron Dennis informed Magnussen he would be leaving the team by email on his birthday, with the Dane admitting the situation could have been handled with "more class". However, as he works on finding another role in F1, Magnussen says he will remember his time with the team fondly due to the amount of experience it gave him within the sport.
“I got to know a lot of great people and in general I've just learned so much during my time with McLaren,” Magnussen told Ekstra Bladet. “Also before racing in F1. All my time in the simulator has helped me, because you work with a set of engineers there that resembles a race team.
“I learned to talk the language of Formula One. How to speak with engineers, what they want to hear. So I have an awful lot to thank McLaren for. Just too bad it ended how it did.”
And Magnussen also sees the positive of not racing for the team while it is struggling so badly having finished last season ninth in the constructors’ championship.
“McLaren aren't fast enough to win anything right now so ultimately it's not the place I want to be. But I think McLaren has a good chance of a comeback if they are willing to chance some things. It wasn't meant to be. Now it's a fresh start for me.”
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