Could Kevin Magnussen Be the New Wonderboy of F1?

There's no doubt about it – McLaren did not have a very good campaign in the last F1 season.  But with the introduction of a promising new F1 driver McLaren’s fortunes could be just about to change for the better.  If the first race of the season is anything to go by, McLaren may even have a shot of winning the Championship, and if this dream turns into reality then McLaren will probably have their new driver Kevin Magnussen to thank.

The lacklustre Sergio Perez of last season has been replaced by Kevin Magnussen. Magnussen is a 21-year-old Danish driver with a racing pedigree and a clear skill for driving – evident from an early age.  He participated in many racing cups and championships as a youngster, though it was in 2012 that he began to draw some serious attention – not least from the sporting director of McLaren – and near the end of 2013 it was confirmed that Magnussen would be racing for McLaren starting in the 2014 season.

He is only young, but already Kevin Magnussen is proving to be a talented racing driver.  During testing in Bahrain he made the fastest lap – 1.5 seconds faster than second best –and he achieved third place in his debut race in Melbourne (raised to 2^nd place afterwards with the disqualification of Daniel Ricciardo).  His driving was aggressive and determined, and yet he displayed the sort of maturity you would expect from any top veteran driver. 

Melbourne was the first time McLaren has seen a driver on the podium since Jenson Button won the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix, and thanks to the disqualification Button also achieved a podium place, making not one but two drivers on the podium.  It is only the first step of the Championship, and there may have been a certain amount of luck involved, but McLaren can certainly be proud of their initial lead over rivals Mercedes, Red Bull, Williams and Ferrari.  Added to the strong performance of Magnussen and Button, the McLaren team also appeared to make all the right choices and out-wit the other teams. 

McLaren has faced engineering problems over the last few seasons, and although their latest motoring rendition is not the fastest car on the track, the strength and consistency of their first race gives them a firm foundation to build on this season.  But for now it is all eyes on Kevin Magnussen.

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