Haas boss Guenther Steiner has come out in defense of new recruit Kevin Magnussen whom Renault took aim at earlier this week.
In an interview with French publication Auto Hebdo, Renault's Abiteboul said he had been disappointed by the Danish driver in 2016, criticizing Magnussen for his lack of commitment and discipline.
But Guenther Steiner was quick to dismiss the remarks, and reiterated Haas' satisfaction with its choice of Magnussen to race alongside Romain Grosjean at the US squad.
"Kevin is a respected race car driver, and I must emphasise that," Steiner told Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet.
"We are all looking forward to working with him."
- Renault's Abiteboul takes aim at MagnussenThe Danish press also defended its countryman, with BT correspondent Peter Nygaard speculating that Abiteboul may be angry with Magnussen for other reasons.
"If Abiteboul is upset about Kevin suggesting that the Renault management were not singing from the same song sheet, that's ridiculous.
"Because it's precisely for that reason that Frederic Vasseur has left the team," he said.
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