Kevin Magnussen, driving for Haas, received a 10-second time penalty for his involvement in a collision with Yuki Tsunoda during the restart of the Chinese Grand Prix after a safety car period.
The incident occurred as they exited Turn 6, with Magnussen experiencing oversteer and making contact with Tsunoda’s car, causing the latter to spin. Tsunoda’s car sustained damage, leading to his retirement from the race, while Magnussen continued.
The stewards attributed primary blame to Magnussen and penalized him with a 10-second penalty. However, Haas team boss Komatsu expressed disagreement with the decision, viewing it as a racing incident rather than justifiable cause for penalty.
Komatsu argued that Magnussen had not forced Tsunoda off the track and had left sufficient room for the Japanese driver. He suggested that the incident was at least a 50/50 responsibility, with Tsunoda also contributing to the situation.
While the penalty is not subject to appeal, Komatsu stated the team’s intention to seek clarification from race direction due to their disagreement with the ruling.
Magnussen, who finished 16th after serving his penalty, expressed uncertainty about how he could have avoided the collision, noting that Tsunoda appeared to be going wide initially. He believed they misjudged each other’s intentions, leading to the incident, which he considered a potential racing incident upon review.
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