Father defends Magnussen's F1 commitment

Aug.3 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen's father has hit back at media speculation that his future is Renault is under a cloud because of his work ethic.

A British magazine has added fuel to the uncertainty about the Dane's place at the French works team for 2017 by suggesting he does not work hard enough and lacks commitment.

When the Danish newspaper BT tried to contact the 23-year-old former McLaren driver, there was no response.

But his father Jan, who himself exited F1 in the late 90s amid then boss Sir Jackie Stewart's comments about his commitment, said saying the same thing about Kevin is not right.

"I know that Kevin is working very hard on his training and physical fitness. In fact, harder than ever," he said.

"I also know that he is often at the factory to work in the simulator. Therefore, I am baffled by these stories," said 43-year-old Jan, now a sports car racer.

Jan also thinks people may have the wrong impression about how hard Kevin works inside Renault, as he keeps "a little distance" to those outside the team.

Danish racing driver Ronnie Bremer, meanwhile, thinks the British media reports could just be a part of the highly political world of F1.

"It's that time of year," he said, "and we can't forget that Kevin Magnussen is up against a British driver in Jolyon Palmer. So there are often these stories around when in reality there's nothing to it."