McLaren Formula 1 team CEO Ron Dennis told rookie driver Kevin Magnussen to keep his feet in the ground after the Dane's surprising second-place finish in his F1 debut at the Grand Prix of Australia Sunday.
The young Dane performed well all weekend long. He took the start of the race from 4th place on the grid and drove a strong race to cross the line third, only to be promoted to second after the disqualification of Daniel Ricciardo in the Red Bull.
“It was unbelievable, really,” the 21-year-old Magnussen told The Telegraph on Monday.
“The team have taken care of me so well and I am proud of the team. It does not feel real. It is so strange that this is happening. I have been dreaming about this for my whole life. I have now done my first F1 race, I was able to get on the podium and I did it with McLaren. It is my dream.”
“No [I will not celebrate],” he assured reporters, with a severe Ron Dennis watching on. “We know we are not the quickest so we have to keep our work rate up and keep it flat out.”
But if he was in any doubt, the 66-year-old Dennis was ready with the kind of tale he has become famous for.
“A very wise old man went into his house and nailed to the celling was a pair of shoes,” Dennis. “I asked what they were for, and he said they were his son’s shoes. ’Every time he sees them it reminds him to keep his feet on the ground’, [the man said]. I will put some in your [Kevin’s] hotel room.”
The young Dane performed well all weekend long. He took the start of the race from 4th place on the grid and drove a strong race to cross the line third, only to be promoted to second after the disqualification of Daniel Ricciardo in the Red Bull.
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| Kevin Magnussen, McLaren (Photo: WRI2) |
“It was unbelievable, really,” the 21-year-old Magnussen told The Telegraph on Monday.
“The team have taken care of me so well and I am proud of the team. It does not feel real. It is so strange that this is happening. I have been dreaming about this for my whole life. I have now done my first F1 race, I was able to get on the podium and I did it with McLaren. It is my dream.”
“No [I will not celebrate],” he assured reporters, with a severe Ron Dennis watching on. “We know we are not the quickest so we have to keep our work rate up and keep it flat out.”
But if he was in any doubt, the 66-year-old Dennis was ready with the kind of tale he has become famous for.
“A very wise old man went into his house and nailed to the celling was a pair of shoes,” Dennis. “I asked what they were for, and he said they were his son’s shoes. ’Every time he sees them it reminds him to keep his feet on the ground’, [the man said]. I will put some in your [Kevin’s] hotel room.”