Home race weekend for Danes team, Carlin Motorsport

McLaren Young Driver Development Programme member Kevin Magnussen is set to return to the World Series by Renault Formula Renault 3.5 championship battle this weekend at Silverstone after the mid-summer break.

The series has not raced since the previous round in Moscow, Russia in early July - the championships first ever visit to the new Moscow Raceway.

While the Russian event was the first weekend for a couple of years where the race schedule of his ex-F1 driver father Jan was able to attend to see Kevin in action, the weekend proved to be a challenging one with the Dane finishing 16th and 10th.

Magnussen has his sights set on repeating the Spa-Francorchamps weekend (round 3) where he scored pole for both races and took his first series win on Sunday.

After five races, Magnussen is seventh in the championship standings with 58 points.

This weekends round of the championship shares the circuit at Silverstone with the latest round of the World Endurnace Championship for Le Mans sportscars.

The weekend is a home race for Magnussens Formula Renault 3.5 team, Carlin Motorsport - the team based in the UK in Surrey.

The remaining races of the championship also feature current or former Formula 1 circuits - Hungaroring, Paul Ricard in France and the series finale at Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain.

KEVIN MAGNUSSEN Q&A

Q: With such a long break since the last race in Moscow, how have you prepared for the upcoming weekend at Silverstone?

A: Weve had a couple of test days with the car and I have been spending a lot of time down at McLaren.

I go there to work out with my trainerthey have an amazing facility there and Im there working out at least once or twice per day.

I have also spent a bit of time on the simulator preparing for the upcoming races.  The simulator is great preparation for Formula 1 and also helps with training for the last four races this season.

Q: Your last races in Russia didnt exactly go to plan, but youve had plenty of time to reboot.  Whats your strategy for the remainder of the season?

A: Russia didnt really go to plan,  But theres no reason to panic.

Obviously its very frustrating when weekends like Moscow happen, but you need to analyze what happen and learn from it.  And thats what Carlin know how to do.  They are such a professional team and are very successful.

Im very confident that Silverstone will be a lot better.

Q: How do you handle a weekend that you had and move forward?

A: It can be tough to have a weekend like Moscow and can take your motivation away, but for me it just shows that I can improve. 

Carlin is a great team and our goals together are to get pole positions and win races.  Thats it.

Q: Have you done many races around the new F1 Silverstone layout?

A: Ive only raced with the new F1 layout once.  But Ive spent a lot of time at Silverstone with the previous layout and know it really well. 

Its a massively awesome track.  Its got a lot of history and home to my team, Carlin. 

Honestly, any track that we can win on is my favorite track.  I dont really have one that is my favorite.

Q: During the summer break, you filled in for your dad, Jan, in his Camaro in the Danish Thundersport Championship.  How was that?

A: It was a completely different world and I loved it.  I always enjoy driving different kinds of cars and had fun with the Camaroit looks and sounds brillianta real mans car.  I want to drive it again!

It was very good to race in Denmark, and in Copenhagen in front of my home crowd.  What made it more special was the team that fields the car is the same one that ran me in my first season of racing in Formula Ford.  To be able to work with them again, racing and having fun, was a great experience. 

I cannot thank them enough for the opportunity. 

 Silverstone Schedule - Formula Renault 3.5 Series

Friday, August 24

09:00 - 10:00: Formula Renault 3.5 Series Test14:00 - 15:00: Formula Renault 3.5 Series Test

Saturday, August 25

09:30 - 10:00: Formula Renault 3.5 Series Qualifying13:00: Formula Renault 3.5 Series Race 1 (44 mins  +1 lap)           17:15 - 17:45: Formula Renault 3.5 Series Qualifying               

Sunday, August 26

9:40: Formula Renault 3.5 Series Race 2  (44 mins  +1 lap)

Formula Renault 3.5 SeriesPoints Standings

111Robin Frijns101Sam Bird85Jules Bianchi79Marco Sorensen76Nick Yelloly64Arthur Pic58Kevin Magnussen54Nico Muller49Kevin Korjus 38Walter Grubmuller

FORMULA RENAULT 3.5 CALENDAR

August 2526: Silverstone, EnglandSeptember 1516: Hungaroring, HungarySeptember 2930: Paul Ricard, France