McLaren Mercedes
Kevin Magnussen expressed his happiness after achieving the best grid slot for a rookie driver in several years.
Magnussen set the fourth quickest time during treacherous conditions during qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix.
"I’m really happy," he said. "Those were difficult conditions, especially as I’ve never driven this track in the wet – it was quite tricky to get the lines and the braking points right. It was much trickier than anything I’ve ever done!
"But I don’t think I could have asked for any more today. I made a mistake and went off on my last lap, so I might have been able to go quicker, but I’m still happy.
"The car was really good, and the team did a fantastic job of preparing me for this. I’m proud of myself, but also proud of the whole team for doing such a massively good job of preparing me over the winter. I always knew what was going on, and I knew the procedures, so it’s clear that they taught me really well."
Magnussen believes that McLaren will struggle to maintain their position if conditions remain dry on Sunday.
"The race is tomorrow, and so are the points – so we need a good Sunday.
"I’ll try to enjoy tomorrow and do the best I can – getting onto the podium won’t be easy, especially if it’s dry. But if it’s wet, anything could happen – so I guess a wet grand prix is what I’ll be hoping for."
