By Lucky Maree
A bit of luck, a lot of hard work . . . and every Haas (which means rabbit) has its day.
“You’re kidding me,” said Kevin Magnussen on the radio.
“You must be f**** kidding me!”
At the final qualifying session for the Formula One race at the Sao Paulo circuit in Brazil, Kevin Magnussen, driving for the totally unfancied Haas team (often referred to as the back-markers) left the pitlane first. He managed to get in one flying lap but it was a good one. Not a great one, but a good one.
Max Verstappen went out and did a good lap, except for a slight lock up under braking for one turn. It was certainly not his fastest, but there was still a full session left to get faster and, as expected, to take pole position.
But then fate stepped in.
A slight drizzle made the track wet enough for the red light to come out and as the minutes ticked by it became clear that there would not be any chance for any more flying laps.
Kevin Magnussen, the smiling Finn, has won his first pole position.
“Did you imagine anything like this when you woke up this morning?” asked the interviewer.
“Nothing like it,” he said.
The celebration in the Haas pit was unbridled – an achievement that anybody remotely involved with the team will remember forever.
Magnussen (Haas) starts on the front position on the grid, George Russell (Mercedes) second, Max Verstappen third.
Pictured above: Kevin Magnussen with his pole position award
Image source: @HaasF1Team
