Kevin Magnussen certainly will not be forgetting the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix any time soon, after the Dane took the first pole position of his career in a Haas that looked unlikely to even make Q3.
Wet conditions that constantly saw the track change from intermediate tyre conditions to slick tyre conditions saw the Haas driver take advantage of his team’s position in the pit lane to put in the fastest lap of Q3 before the rain set in, with every driver on the grid taking time to congratulate the Dane.
Magnussen was never expected to hold on to P1 over the course of the weekend, but impressively held on to a P8 finish in the sprint race, meaning that he scored much needed points for himself and his team.
The main event on Sunday was not as successful for the 30-year-old however, after he was hit by Daniel Ricciardo on the opening lap and forced to retire from the race alongside the Australian.
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Magnussen has now told his interesting tale about his adventures trying to return to the pit lane after he exited his car in sector two of Interlagos, claiming that he struggled with the language barrier in Brazil.
“It was crazy. I don’t know what happened, but it was the most dangerous thing I did all weekend – including driving,” he joked.
“For some reason, I just couldn’t get a ride back to the pits. I got into the safety car but was left on the side of the track for the entire race.”
Remaining trackside while the other 71 laps of the Grand Prix unfolded would have been a major hazard for both Magnussen and the other drivers, but he has told reporters that eventually he did manage to find a way off the circuit.
“Some of them realised I was in trouble, they cut a hole in the fence and lifted me through it. It was a bit of a miracle,” said Magnussen.
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“I was well taken care of among the fans, but it could have been worse. Luckily I wasn’t Lewis Hamilton at Zandvoort. That would have been quite a thing.
“They apologised to me, but it was a really strange situation. Just come pick me up, how hard can it be? I hope it doesn’t happen again.”
The points that Magnussen scored during the sprint race saw Haas pull two points clear of AlphaTauri in the championship, and the team will be hoping to finish strong in Abu Dhabi and secure eighth place in what has been a turbulent season.