F1

Kevin Magnussen says he didn't realise how much he missed Formula 1 until Haas offered him the opportunity to make a comeback.

“There was a lot of stuff that had to be sorted out, of course. I had only done that for two years, as previous to that I had been in the midfield and that was really fun. “I was enjoying it and then Gunther called me and ruined all of that!

Mercedes has appeared at the final pre-season test in Bahrain with a significant upgrade that features a radical sidepod design.

But with an 80% team majority we can change the wording, so if something has slipped by then the team is aware that can happen, and that can happen live during the season, so we need to see how this one plays out.” In the past you needed everybody to agree to a change in the season, now it’s 80%, as long as the FIA and F1 also agree. “I think there’s no doubt that the Mercedes concept, we didn’t anticipate,” Brawn said.

Mercedes principal Toto Wolff denied his team's new F1 car had sidepods that flouted regulations.

Brawn said the Mercedes approach, which he described as “extreme”, had not been expected and noted that even if the car is within the regulations such innovations could now be banned mid-season should eight of the 10 teams (known as a “supermajority”) agree. “That doesn’t correspond to the spirit of the regulations. “We were keen in not running alone, but being in touch with the FIA, that is why I think it will be OK. It is clear that when you come with an innovation it creates the kind of debate that we are having here.

Kevin Magnussen spoke about his reaction to learning he would return to Formula 1, and why he said 'yes' to Haas Team Principal Guenther Steiner as soon as ...

I don’t know, I ran out of motivation to be running around the back. F1 TV Pro subscribers can watch Bahrain pre-season testing live and on demand, access exclusive live timing, as well as Tech Talk debriefs. “When Guenther called me, I said ‘yes’ immediately.

Haas has opted for a red and white look for its Formula One car this season as it moves on from its tenure with Nikita Mazepin and Uralkali.

Magnussen and teammate Mick Schumacher will both have a chance to drive on Friday and Saturday. The car is white with traces of red across the car, with the Haas name written across the front wing. The following day, after a delayed start to the second F1 test of preseason, the Haas car rolled out of the garage in its new look.

Kevin Magnussen says that he made peace with the thought of never returning to Formula 1 after he departed Haas at the end of the 2020 season.

I felt really excited when he called me and asked if I wanted to come back. “I had some thoughts about what if we’re going to run it back again, if it’s going to be fun or not, but with this regulation change there’s some opportunity that things will be a little better. “So I thought that it was still not going to be a possibility, then Gunther called me, and it was a big surprise.