The Dane has struggled at instances to get as a lot out of his Haas as team-mate Nico Hulkenberg, with the American-owned squad itself having endured some ups and downs.
Digging a bit deeper into what has held him again, Magnussen has defined that one of many key components has been how the VF-23 offers with the entry to and transition by means of corners.
For Magnussen, his desire as a driver is for what is called the U-style method to a nook apex: which is taking a smoother and extra rounded line all through the phases of a flip. This has advantages in serving to drivers preserve a better minimal velocity by means of turns.
To execute this correctly, nevertheless, a automotive has to deal with effectively the transition from braking on the method to a nook after which coping with nook flip in.
That’s one thing the present Haas just isn’t good at – because it loses stability when it’s requested to make use of braking and rotational forces on the identical time.
As a substitute, it really works higher with a V-style method to an apex – which is the place a driver brakes extra in a straight line to sluggish the automotive down, then has a sharper flip in earlier than they straighten issues up and speed up out.
Magnussen, who’s a self-declared “U-man”, says it’s a attribute that he has been centered on making an attempt to handle in current races.
“You’ll be able to’t actually mix Gs a lot with these vehicles,” stated Magnussen. “I believe additionally a giant a part of it’s the tyres. They do not help you mix G, so you may’t do a whole lot of rotation and braking on the identical time.
“It’s important to V the corners extra. And that is the 2 completely different driving types: V fashion or not. There’s many alternative variations of those two, however in broad phrases that is what I discover, and this yr’s automotive on our aspect is much more weak like that.”
Kevin Magnussen, Haas F1 Staff
Photograph by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
Magnussen says the transition from driving with a U-style to studying the best way to be fast with a V-style just isn’t one thing that may be modified in a single day.
He likened the problem to a golf participant needing to alter the positioning of his wrist at a sure part of a swing.
“In case you are making an attempt to alter the angle of your wrist, simply a few levels at an actual level within the swing, the second is gone, you have carried out it, and it’s extremely onerous to regulate this stuff,” he stated.
“It takes 10,000 hours earlier than you have carried out it, as a result of it is actually one thing in our central nervous system, and being carried out very routinely. Usually, it is best to not strive too onerous to alter these issues, however truly discover methods round it.”
Magnussen has defined that fairly than making an attempt to give attention to altering himself to turn out to be wholly a V-style driver, he says it has been higher to get the Haas tailored to swimsuit him extra.
“I’ve modified some issues within the automotive, some easy issues, in order that my driving fashion begins to work, and stuff that may form of enable me to drive extra in a V-style in a straightforward means,” he stated.
“My fashion has been working for a few years, and I additionally assume I’m a driver who can drive many alternative vehicles.
“I’ve pushed sportscars, IndyCars, F1, and it is all the time been simple for me to adapt. So I believe this automotive, it is unstable in simply the worst a part of the nook.”
Magnussen additionally feels that it’s higher to work by means of the problems in the true world than attempt to deal with it in a simulator.
“It must be very, very detailed on what the automotive is doing within the simulator to truly be capable of work on that subject,” he stated.
“It’s extremely small particulars. I believe it is simpler to work on observe, however I do not fear a lot about it. I believe it’ll come.”
Haas technical director Simone Resta stated this weak point in vehicles coping with the U-style method was symptomatic of the present era of floor impact vehicles.
“The extra you place downforce on, particularly with the regulation change, the extra the vehicles are likely to turn out to be peaky,” he stated.
“So you will have good downforce within the centre, with good roll yaws, However the extra you push the automotive, with excessive yaws, you wrestle to select up the downforce. In the event you take a look at different groups, like McLaren, it’s nearly like the identical downside.”
Earlier this yr, McLaren’s Lando Norris also said that he had been affected by the necessity to have a V-style method to getting probably the most out of his MCL60.