Magnussen to start Hungarian GP from pit lane after Q3 crash

McLaren has confirmed that Kevin Magnussen will start tomorrow’s Hungarian Grand Prix from the pit lane following a severe crash during the final part of qualifying.

As Q3 got underway on Saturday afternoon, a short, sharp rain shower hit the Hungaroring, making the first corner very slippery. Four drivers all ran wide on dry tires, but it was Magnussen who was the biggest loser as he hit the grass before slamming into the wall at an awkward angle.

The incident brought out the red flag to allow the marshals to clear the wreckage. Thankfully, Magnussen walked away unharmed, but he will require a new chassis for the race tomorrow, which means that he will start the race from the pit lane.

“I’m most disappointed for the team,” Magnussen said. “I think we could’ve got another decent qualifying result.

“Now, we just need to get on with it. Starting from the pit lane will make life more difficult, but I’m determined to have a strong race. I’m just very disappointed to have made that mistake.”

Despite crashing, Magnussen qualified for the race in tenth place, meaning that all of the drivers behind him will make up a position on the grid.

In better news for McLaren, Jenson Button ended his poor run of qualifying form to finish seventh on Saturday afternoon in Hungary.

The Briton only narrowly missed out on P6, finishing less than one-tenth of a second behind Felipe Massa. However, he still feels that more work can be done.

“Until qualifying, it felt like it had been raining on me all weekend!” Button jested. “Then, this afternoon, the car felt a lot better than it had in all the other sessions. That was a major positive.

“I think it’s the ‘never give up’ attitude of the guys in the garage. We’d been playing with the set-up all weekend. It’s better now, but there’s still more work needed.”

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