- McLaren
Magnussen 'already very at home' - McLaren
Eric Boullier admits he is surprised at how well rookie Kevin Magnussen has adapted to life at McLaren despite his limited Formula One experience.
Magnussen had just three days of testing in F1 machinery prior to the winter, but made good progress with the team over the pre-season testing period. Boullier, the team's new racing director, admits he is surprised at how well the youngster has adapted to F1, especially considering the demands of the new technical regulations.
"He is doing well," Boullier told Autosport. "It's a different story from drivers in the past who had lots of miles under their belts. For a young driver who did only a couple of days in an F1 car, he is very impressive. He is consistent and obviously you have the usual problems with tyre management for a kid like him because they are used to a different world where they could push through the race. Here, you have to be a bit more careful with the tyres if you want them to last long enough during your stint. That is what he has to learn, but he is doing very well."
Magnussen's quick adjustment has taken Boullier aback, though he also believes there is still plenty of improvement yet to come from the rookie.
"Surprisingly, you can feel he is already very at home. He is still a bit shy maybe in terms of expressing his feedback, but it's going right. There are many [technical] parameters and he is doing it cleverly, not going too much into details now because he doesn't want to get lost in aero strategy or tyre management."
Since taking his new role, Boullier has also been impressed with the ethic Magnussen's team-mate, Jenson Button, brings to the team.
"I didn't know him too well, but he's a very established leading driver, which is very good for the team. They have somebody who can take decisions, give good feedback and tell them exactly what he needs. That's good."
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