3/3/2015
Kevin Magnussen has been given the nod to pilot the MP4-30 alongside Jenson Button in Formula 1’s season opener in Melbourne as Fernando Alonso’s doctors have not yet cleared him to race.
The Dane probably didn’t imagine any Grand Prix racing would be in store for him in 2015 as both Alonso and Button were healthy and robust drivers; however, Alonso’s accident during preseason testing in Barcelona changed all of that when a lateral impact with a wall gave him a concussion. Doctors insist that Alonso is perfectly healthy however the decision to have him sit out the season opener was to guard against what doctors call “second impact syndrome” where a second concussion could exacerbate effects of the first.
The young driver is still sharp as he did post the fastest lap time in the MP4-30 during the last Barcelona test, however it appears that the hardware won’t be doing him any favors as the MP4-30 has been less than reliable suffering one or more issues on each day of preseason testing.
There are many unanswered questions surrounding what McLaren Honda will be able to pull together in time for Melbourne and, if preseason testing is any indication, odds aren’t on their side. But two things are certain, Magnussen is hungry and wants to make his mark and Honda wants to win. Let’s hope things come together in a week and a half.
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