Spa-Francorchamps a happy hunting ground for Magnussen
Danish Formula Renault 3.5 championship leader Kevin Magnussen heads to Spa-Francorchamps this weekend aiming to replicate the dramatic speed he showed at the Belgian venue in 2012.The McLaren Young Driver Development Program member won pole position for both races at Spa last year - one in the wet on Saturday and one in the dry on Sunday.He went on to win Sundays race to claim his first World Series by Renault victory.The second-generation Danish driver enters this weekends race with a handy 14 point lead in the Formula Renault 3.5 championship.Magnussen kicked off the 2013 season with a pair of runner-up placings at Monza in Italy and won his first race of the season in the Saturday race at Motorland Aragon in Spain.In last weekends event on the streets of Monaco he qualified and finished fourth in Sundays single race.While disappointed to not finish on the podium, Magnussens consistency resulting in him extending his championship lead by 10 points.In a season where five different drivers and teams have won pole position, won races and set the fastest lap - Magnussen is the only driver to have done all three.The DAMS driver is hoping to continue that consistency again this weekend in Belgium. He is one of only two drivers this season to finish in the points in each of the five races contested to date.This weekends action at Spa-Francorchamps will be broadcast on Eurosport. Check local guides for details.
Q: Last year you were very strong at Spa, how much are you looking forward to going back this weekend?A: Spa is one of the big ones. It is a great circuit and a very fast track and it is one of the places that I really enjoy racing at.Im really looking forward to this weekend and continuing our strong run. Last year I was able to get pole position in both the wet and the dry and scored my first win so it is certainly a track that has been very good for me.
A: The most important part for the championship is going to be consistency. That is something which I probably lacked last year but have been working very hard on improving that aspect this year.You have to score as many points as you can every race and not make any mistakes.That is where my focus is this year.
Q: What is your favorite part of the circuit at Spa-Francorchamps?A: The whole circuit is really enjoyable but the double left hander at Pouhon is very rewarding and great to drive.Eau Rouge is obviously a great corner but it is not very tricky in the Formula Renault 3.5 car - we are easy flat through there.Overall the entire circuit is a great place. Spa has a great selection of fast corners plus a few slower turns like the final chicane and the La Source hairpin. From a set-up perspective it really doesnt create too many issues and the team certainly know what they are doing.I really like places like this with fast corners so it should be a really good weekend.
