Kevin Magnussen left abandoned at the track after Sao Paulo DNF: ‘It was crazy!’

Kevin Magnussen has told the bizarre story of how he was forgotten about and left at the track during the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

The Dane started the weekend in the perfect manner when he secured both his and his team’s first ever pole position.

While he was unable to hold onto P1 during Saturday’s sprint race, he did finish in P8 meaning he earned a point and was in a good position to secure even more in Sunday’s race.

That did, however, not go to plan when he got hit by Daniel Ricciardo on the first lap – with the Haas going on to take out the McLaren as Magnussen rolled off the track.

While Ricciardo was quickly given a lift back to the pits by the Safety Car, Magnussen was left stranded and he has now revealed he was there for the whole race.

“It was crazy,” he told media including PlanetF1. “I don’t know what went on but it was the most dangerous thing I did all weekend despite all the driving.

“For whatever reason, I didn’t catch a ride back to the pits. Daniel took me out of the race and then jumped in the Safety Car and took my ride back home to the pits.

“And then I was left on the side of the track the whole race which I can survive, that’s okay, but then after I tried to speak to the marshals but they didn’t speak a word of English, not at all.

“After the race, I was kind of waiting for someone to come and pick me up or something. The marshal started leaving and then I was like ‘What do I do?'”

Magnussen revealed that he followed the marshals with one of them going on to cut a fence to allow him back into the safety of the paddock.

“So I walked the same direction [as the marshals], but ended up by a fence that I couldn’t really see a way around, because I could have walked the whole track and went around the start/finish.

“But that was where all the fans were and then some of the marshals realised that I was in trouble and cut a hole in the fence and fitted me through the fence which was kind of sketchy.”

Thankfully Magnussen did make it back and revealed he did receive an apology from those in charge.

“Yeah they apologised and stuff but I mean, it’s a pretty weird situation. Just come and pick me up.”

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