Post by Hammer on Feb 5, 2016 17:27:17 GMT
Magnussen was confirmed as a Renault driver on Wednesday at a launch event outside Paris and will partner British rookie Jolyon Palmer. Maldonado signed a deal to drive with the team last September, but the change in ownership and late payments from his sponsors PDVSA saw Renault replace him with Magnussen.
"I have full respect for Pastor, I've been in his situation and I know it's tough, so I feel for him," Magnussen said. "But I'm sure he will have success in whatever he will do next."
The Renault deal has offered Magnussen's F1 career a lifeline after he was demoted from race driver at McLaren in 2014 to reserve driver in 2015 and then left without a contract with the British team in 2016. But Magnussen insists it will not play on his mind when he goes wheel-to-wheel with McLaren this year.
"I'm not really bothered about them. I don't care. Whoever we can beat, we will beat them."
Magnussen is expecting a steep learning curve in his first year with Renault.
"Let's take it day-by-day. This is the build-up phase, it's a new team so we're going to be learning a lot at the beginning and we have to be humble and realistic and work extremely hard. So let's see, I'm going to go in to the first race and really enjoy just being back in a proper race car with a proper Formula One team."
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"I have full respect for Pastor, I've been in his situation and I know it's tough, so I feel for him," Magnussen said. "But I'm sure he will have success in whatever he will do next."
The Renault deal has offered Magnussen's F1 career a lifeline after he was demoted from race driver at McLaren in 2014 to reserve driver in 2015 and then left without a contract with the British team in 2016. But Magnussen insists it will not play on his mind when he goes wheel-to-wheel with McLaren this year.
"I'm not really bothered about them. I don't care. Whoever we can beat, we will beat them."
Magnussen is expecting a steep learning curve in his first year with Renault.
"Let's take it day-by-day. This is the build-up phase, it's a new team so we're going to be learning a lot at the beginning and we have to be humble and realistic and work extremely hard. So let's see, I'm going to go in to the first race and really enjoy just being back in a proper race car with a proper Formula One team."
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