Haas rivals to question FIA over unsportsmanlike behaviour - 'It's not how I want to go racing'

Haas' F1 rivals are to seek clarification from the FIA over "unsportsmanlike behaviour" from the team and driver Kevin Magnussen at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Magnussen was penalised for two separate incidents, the first for squeezing Williams driver Alex Albon into a wall entering turn four at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, and the second for overtaking RB driver Yuki Tsunoda and gaining an advantage.

With 20 seconds worth of penalties to his name, Magnussen held up a group of cars whilst in 12th position to allow team-mate Nico Hulkenberg to develop a pit window after previously failing to make his pit stop under the early safety car, unlike the majority of the field.

This took Tsunoda, Albon and Daniel Ricciardo in the second RB out of the fight for points as the German collected 10th.

"With Yuki, we did a conventional race like most others," said RB racing director Alan Permane.

"We started him on the medium tyre, and when the Safety Car came out, pitted him for the hard compound. What then happened was a little difficult to take.

"Magnussen drove off the track to deliberately put himself in front of Yuki and then slowed him down by up to two seconds a lap, which allowed Hulkenberg, who hadn’t stopped yet, to create a gap and, of course, pit in front of all the cars behind.

"That, to me, doesn’t seem correct and is the very definition of unsportsmanlike behaviour. I’m sure we, and other teams, will talk to the FIA about it for future races."

'Not how I want to go racing'

Albon sustained damage in the collision with Magnussen yet was still able to fight within the group of cars that also included Alpine's Esteban Ocon.

“I know we had a car that could score a point there, and yet we walk away without anything to our name,” explained Williams team principal James Vowles.

“Now in part, that was because Alex’s car was damaged by Magnussen pushing him into the wall, receiving a penalty as a result of it, but then using tactics to back up the remainder of the field and create a gap so that Hulkenberg could score that additional point.

“Now those questions on whether or not those tactics are viable or not, or sportsmanlike, let’s review that as an organisation and a sport going forward.

“My opinion from it is that’s not how I want to go racing.”