Sports
Magnussen’s tactics have helped Haas — and put him in danger of a race ban
If you’d have told Haas going into this Formula One season that, after Miami, it would have points from four rounds and sit seventh in the championship, the team would have been delighted.
A car that is more forgiving on its tires, combined with some particularly impressive displays from Nico Hülkenberg, has put Haas a step ahead of Williams, Sauber and Alpine so far in 2024. It has surpassed all preseason expectations, set low after a difficult end to last year, in which it finished last, and that resulted in Guenther Steiner’s offseason exit.
On a couple of occasions, the deciding factor to make the top 10 has been Hülkenberg’s teammate, Kevin Magnussen, whose bold defensive tactics — it wouldn’t be a stretch to call them aggressive — have helped his teammate snare a couple of extra points.
But after a penalty-laden weekend in Miami, Magnussen will spend the rest of the season on the brink of an F1 race ban for his driving behavior, assuming he doesn’t trigger it with one more offense.
At a time when the gulf between F1’s fastest five teams and the slowest five is so great, every single point is valuable in the battle at the back of the grid, particularly as each constructors’ championship position is worth in the region of $12-15 million in prize money.
Magnussen had this in mind in Saudi Arabia after picking up a time penalty for a collision with Alex Albon early on and another for passing Yuki Tsunoda off-track. Knowing his race was ruined by the added time, he got aggressive in his defensive moves to help Hülkenberg. By slowing down the cars he was fighting, Magnussen created a gap that meant Hülkenberg could pit without losing a position, keeping 10th to score a precious point for Haas.
Post-race, Hülkenberg thanked Magnussen for playing the team game. Magnussen picked up three penalty points for the collision with Albon, while the overtake on Tsunoda only resulted in a 10-second time penalty — even though it had cost the cars behind far more.
Magnussen picked up another two penalty points in China for his collision with Tsunoda after the safety car restart, putting him on five for the season. Any driver who accrues 12 penalty points on their super license in a 12-month period is subject to a one-race ban, per the rules introduced in 2014.
Kevin Magnussen’s 2024 driving offenses
Race | Offense | Penalty |
---|---|---|
Saudi Arabia |
Causing a collision with Albon |
10s time penalty; 3 penalty points |
Saudi Arabia |
Leaving the track and gaining an advantage |
10s time penalty |
China |
Causing a collision with Tsunoda |
10s time penalty; 2 penalty points |
Miami (sprint) |
Leaving the track and gaining an advantage |
10s time penalty |
Miami (sprint) |
Leaving the track and gaining an advantage |
10s time penalty |
Miami (sprint) |
Leaving the track and gaining an advantage |
10s time penalty; 3 penalty points |
Miami (sprint) |
Leaving the track without a justifiable reason multiple times |
5s time penalty |
Miami (GP) |
Causing a collision with Sargeant |
10s time penalty; 2 penalty points |
Miami (GP) |
Entering the pit lane under safety car and not changing tires |
Drive-through, converted to 20s time penalty |
But it was in the Miami sprint race that Magnussen did himself the real damage, again to aid Hülkenberg score a few points. He went off-track on three occasions to help stay ahead of Lewis Hamilton, opening up a gap to Hülkenberg ahead in the process. Each triggered a 10-second time penalty that meant Magnussen was classified last, but his actions were effective in allowing Hülkenberg to speed away in front.
Magnussen was already aware of the first 10-second time penalty dropping him to last before the second and third offenses, the latter also resulting in three penalty points on his super license because of the frequency of the misdeeds. Post-race on the radio, he mentioned some “nice teamwork”, and admitted afterwards to F1 TV that he had to “had to do my thing to protect Nico” who scored two points for Haas in seventh.
“I had to play the sporting game not to have him be overtaken as well,” Magnussen said. “So, not the way I want to go racing. But what I had to do.”
The stewards investigated Magnussen for unsportsmanlike behavior after the sprint, given he so freely admitted to driving how he did to help Hülkenberg, only to deem this bar to be set too high for his actions. Magnussen got the penalties the regulations dictate; if they’re not severe enough, that’s on the rules, not the driver. The stewards did note the fact the rules do not deter the kind of way Magnussen drove, and that they would “raise explicitly” the matter with the FIA and the stewarding team.
Magnussen agreed the rules could be improved. “If you’re fighting and you do something that’s not allowed, it would be great if the FIA had the power to tell you to give it back and swap positions,” he said. “That way, it’s going to have an effect immediately and stop any games being played.”
McLaren boss Andrea Stella was very unimpressed by Magnussen’s actions in the sprint, calling them “unacceptable” and saying that penalties should be “exponential,” not cumulative. “Five plus five plus five should equal… maybe you need to spend a weekend at home with your family, reflect on your sportsmanship and then come back,” Stella said.
It will require a close look from the FIA, whether this is a loophole it needs to close to improve driving standards, or simply part of the game. For now, it firmly remains the latter, and it is one that Magnussen played to perfection in Miami.
That’s not to say there may not be a price to pay. The three penalty points were followed by another two on Sunday for his clumsy collision with Logan Sargeant, taking Magnussen up to 10, two shy of a race ban.
It’s not the first time a driver has reached this tally — Pierre Gasly spent a few races on 10 points in early 2023 — but it will be the first time a driver has to spend the majority of the season with the threat of a ban looming.
Penalty points are typically limited to on-track incidents (the three for the repeated breaches of track limits was an exception), meaning it’s likely to only be a collision with another driver that might tip Magnussen over the limit to 12. Magnussen won’t drop any of his points until the start of next season, meaning he has another 18 races to survive without any more incidents.
Were Magnussen to be benched for a race, Oliver Bearman would be first in line to step in after his star turn for Ferrari in Jeddah. Bearman will take part in FP1 for Haas at Imola next weekend, his first of six scheduled practice appearances with the team over the course of the season.
Asking a driver to change their approach or be more mindful when in battle is far easier said than done. For Magnussen, as successful as his tactics have been so far in helping Haas this season, they now leave him at risk of spending a race on the sidelines barring a spotless remainder of the season.
(Lead photo of Kevin Magnussen: Song Haiyuan/MB Media/Getty Images)
Sports
Hate ’em if you want, but Chiefs make no apologies while continuing pursuit of history
Patrick Mahomes couldn’t help himself.
A couple hours after leading the Kansas City Chiefs to an AFC championship victory over the Buffalo Bills — a triumph that clinched the team’s third consecutive trip to the Super Bowl and the fifth in the last six seasons — Mahomes pulled out his cell phone, fired up the good ol’ Twitter/X app, loaded the iconic Kermit sipping tea meme and sent out the message: “I’ll see y’all in New Orleans! #ChiefsKingdom.”
https://t.co/l8yksh2rWx pic.twitter.com/rgh5x6aSUs
— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) January 27, 2025
It was a slick clapback. Kermit jokes are nothing new for Mahomes, who has long been ribbed for the way his unique voice reminds many of the Muppets star. During training camp, members of the Las Vegas Raiders mocked their divisional rival with a Kermit puppet wearing a curly wig and red No. 15 jersey. Mahomes got the last laugh in the form of a regular-season sweep. Ahead of the Chiefs’ regular-season road game against the Bills in November, some fans found humor in hanging a Kermit the Frog doll in a similar wig-and-jersey getup high above a street outside Highmark Stadium (the racist overtones many saw in the image are likely the reason it stuck in Mahomes’ mind).
Buffalo won that regular season game. However, Mahomes again laughed last, in the game that really mattered. He ripped out the hearts of the Bills and their fans with one of his most dominant performances of the season, ending Buffalo’s Super Bowl hopes for the fourth time in the last five years.
Mahomes’ meme deployment represented both a good-natured rubbing of salt in the Bills’ wounds, and a wink directed at the increasing number of football fans who would love to see anyone but Mahomes and the Chiefs hoist yet another Lombardi Trophy.
The Chiefs have officially taken over as football’s Evil Empire. They replaced the New England Patriots, who under the direction of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady dominated the NFL for the better part of two decades. The Patriots won six Super Bowls while appearing in nine from 2002-19. One season after losing to those same Patriots in the 2018 AFC Championship, Mahomes and the Chiefs won their first Super Bowl. Three years later, they won another, and then another, the first back-to-back champs since New England (in 2004 and ’05). And now they’re back in the Super Bowl again, going for an unprecedented three-peat.
It’s remarkable that dating back to Super Bowl XXXVI, played in February 2002, 14 of the last 24 Super Bowls have featured either the Patriots or the Chiefs, with New England winning six out of their nine appearances and the Chiefs winning three of four (with the outcome of the fifth to be determined). The dominance, however, has caused the Chiefs to — in the eyes of some fans — morph from fresh-faced underdogs into reviled power players whose prospect of continued success provokes feelings of nausea.
Is it logical? No.
Surprising? Not entirely.
But there is a mindbending aspect to the speed at which some fans have turned on the Chiefs.
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Just a few short years ago, the Chiefs were viewed as the perfect antidote to decades of Patriots fatigue. They were everything New England was not.
Bill Belichick was the surly, personality-devoid leader of a franchise that required rigid adherence to the Patriot Way. Chiefs coach Andy Reid is the endearing, Hawaiian-shirt-wearing grandfatherly figure encouraging individuality while permitting his players to color outside of the lines.
Non-Pats fans viewed Brady as arrogant, overly polished, calculated, demanding and robotic. Mahomes was unassuming, with a knack for making Houdini-esque escapes under pressure and delivering throws to any spot on the field — from every conceivable arm slot. Meanwhile, sidekick Travis Kelce was the fun-loving freelancer drawing as much praise for his colorful personality as he did his confounding route-running and clutch catches.
The Patriots’ critics branded them as cheaters because of the sign-stealing scandal and the Brady-related “Deflategate.” The Chiefs maintained a wholesome feel while building their dynasty through homegrown talent, smart financial moves and continuity both at the core of their roster and on their coaching staff.
Kansas City seemed to have the whole country behind them six years ago as they fell short against New England in that 37-31 overtime loss at Arrowhead Stadium, which preceded the final Lombardi trophy of the Patriots dynasty. And the Chiefs’ popularity only further skyrocketed the following season as Mahomes and Co. pulled off a comeback victory over San Francisco for the franchise’s first Super Bowl since the 1969 season.
Mahomes’ jersey became the NFL’s leading seller and his team took on a new crop of bandwagon fans. Kansas City and their quarterback and coach remained a marvel three seasons later as they rebounded from a Super Bowl loss to Brady and the Tampa Bay Bucs to win a second Super Bowl a year later.
But somewhere between that second and third Super Bowl campaign, the feelings directed at Kansas City started to switch from fascination and fondness to fatigue and loathing. The distaste for the Chiefs has only increased this season.
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But why?
Is it envy over the way Mahomes always finds a way to get it done, winning 17 straight games decided by one score?
Is it the decrease of offensive fireworks as the Chiefs have reinvented themselves from a high-scoring machine to a defensive juggernaut, with Mahomes seemingly saving his difference-making plays for the closing minutes of games?
Is the off-the-field stuff, like the ubiquitous Reid-Mahomes commercials, or the constant coverage of Kelce’s relationship with pop icon Taylor Swift?
All of the above? Probably.
Regardless, for many the rage has become blinding. That’s reflected in the silly-yet-increasingly popular school of thought that the Chiefs now receive preferential treatment from officials, part of a mandate from the NFL to ensure Kansas City wins another Super Bowl. Those who subscribe to this belief view every questionable penalty flagged against Kansas City’s opponents (a late hit as Mahomes slips out of bounds, a roughing the passer call as a foe grazes his helmet, a pass-interference flag to extend a drive) as evidence that the fix is in. They do so while, incredibly, ignoring all of the calls that officials botch in non-Chiefs games.
Those fans also never stop to consider a couple of other facts that would discredit their stance.
Young or poorly-constructed teams typically wilt in the most pressure-packed moments and tend to hurt themselves by committing ill-timed transgressions. Quality teams and coaches execute at their best in the face of pressure. So it should come as no surprise that the Chiefs — a franchise that, like New England during its reign, is as well-constructed and battle-tested as any in the league — don’t burn themselves at critical junctures. There’s nothing fluky about the bulk of those 17 one-score wins.
The NFL goes to great lengths to ensure parity — revenue sharing, salary cap, free agency, the draft process — because league officials know that competitive balance and an ever-changing slate of contenders and champions is good for business. It would make no sense to fix games for a small-market team like the Chiefs. If anything, the league would want to see the Jets and Giants, Bears and Cowboys emerge as juggernauts rather than trainwrecks.
The haters seem to allow a blend of jealousy, boredom and obsession for the next big thing to cloud their critical thinking skills. And so, they parse through every play and every call in search of detracting factors. It’s the typical response of bitter fans of the hunters, directed at the hunted. Just ask the Patriots, Yankees, Dodgers, Lakers, Bulls, Golden State Warriors or any other dynasty.
If it’s not our team, we tire quickly of dominance. And rather than allow ourselves to appreciate historic feats, we distract ourselves with belly-aching, eye-rolling and teeth-gnashing over those unstoppable opponents.
In Mahomes, the NFL has a superstar piling up accomplishments at a rate that not even Brady proved capable of. Meanwhile, Reid continues to prove himself as one of the most creative masterminds in NFL history. How could you not appreciate such rare levels of greatness?
The Chiefs make no apologies for their excellence. By now, they’re a well-oiled machine powered by brilliant talent evaluators, creative coaches and special players willing to sacrifice to ensure that they have the best chance of extending what looks like another historic window of contention.
They’re also not bristling at all the hate. Instead, Mahomes and his teammates find it amusing. They embrace the role of the villain and continue their pursuit of history, which — sorry to break it to you — given the fact that Mahomes hasn’t even turned 30, could extend much longer.
Hate on.
(Photo: Fernando Leon / Getty Images)
Sports
2 NBA stars on the move in latest blockbuster deal: report
Two NBA stars are reportedly on the move Sunday, hours after the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis earlier in the day.
The Sacramento Kings, Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs were finalizing a deal involving De’Aaron Fox and Zach LaVine, ESPN reported.
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Fox was traded to the Spurs and LaVine was traded to the Kings in the deal, according to the report. The Bulls will reportedly receive Zach Collins, Tre Jones, Kevin Heurter and a 2025 draft pick.
The Kings guard is two seasons removed from his first All-Star appearance. He was averaging 25 points, 6.1 assists and five rebounds with the team before he was dealt. He has played for the Kings since the 2017-18 season.
LaVine, a two-time All-Star, had been with the Bulls since the 2017-18 season as well. He was mostly injured during the 2023-24 season but bounced back and played in 42 games this season. He’s averaging 24 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game.
Fox will now pair up with Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs are 21-25 this season and are about three games behind the Golden State Warriors for 11th in the Western Conference.
LaVine will team up with Domantas Sabonis. The Kings are two seasons removed from their playoff run in 2023. Sacramento has seen changes this season and the Fox trade appeared to be the end of it. The team fired head coach Mike Brow and replaced him with Doug Christie.
The Kings are in 10th in the West with a record of 24-24. Chicago is in 10th in the Eastern Conference with a 21-28 record.
San Antonio will also receive Jordan McLaughlin and the Kings will receive Sidy Cissoko, three first-round picks and three second-round picks.
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Sports
After hometown World Series run, Jack Flaherty is heading back to Detroit
At the start of the offseason, Los Angeles native and Dodgers World Series champion Jack Flaherty voiced his desire to remain with his hometown team.
But it became clear long ago this winter that the Dodgers — who have replenished their rotation with marquee signings of Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki — wouldn’t have the room to bring him back.
So, Flaherty decided to return to his other 2024 club instead.
On Sunday night, Flaherty and the Detroit Tigers, the team that sent Flaherty to the Dodgers at the trade deadline last season, agreed to a two-year contract for $35 million, ESPN reported. Flaherty, who posted a picture to X of himself in a Tigers uniform after the news broke, will make $25 million in 2025 and have a $10-million player option in 2026 — creating the possibility he will be back on the free-agent market again next winter.
It was a little over a year ago that Flaherty first signed with Detroit, joining the Tigers last offseason on a one-year deal.
Once a budding ace with the St. Louis Cardinals, Flaherty was looking to rebuild his stock after injury troubles and inconsistent performance. And in Detroit, the right-hander staged the turnaround he was hoping for.
In the first half of the season, Flaherty posted a 7-5 record and 2.95 ERA in 18 starts. With the Tigers then on the fringes of the playoff picture (they would later rally down the stretch to earn a wild-card berth), Flaherty became one of the top starters available on the midseason trade market.
On deadline day, the New York Yankees nixed a potential deal for Flaherty because of reported concerns over his medical records. That opened the door for the Dodgers, who were in desperate need of pitching help after a wave of injuries ravaged their rotation, to swoop in at the last second and add the Harvard-Westlake product to their undermanned staff.
Just as they hoped, Flaherty became a stabilizing force for the Dodgers on the mound. He went 6-2 with a 3.58 ERA in 10 starts down the stretch. And by the playoffs, he was one of only three healthy starters remaining on the roster, leading the team in innings pitched during their extended October campaign.
Flaherty’s postseason performance was inconsistent. He twice led the club to key wins in Game 1 of both the National League Championship Series and World Series. But he also suffered several clunkers, including an eight-run outing in Game 5 of the NLCS and an abbreviated four-run start in Game 5 of the World Series.
The Dodgers, of course, overcame Flaherty’s struggles in the latter contest, rallying from the early hole to clinch the title at Yankee Stadium. And as Flaherty celebrated the championship, he held out hope of remaining with his favorite childhood team.
“I love this city,” Flaherty said during the team’s World Series parade. “I never want to leave. I never want to leave.”
Despite that, Flaherty never seemed likely to stay with the Dodgers this winter.
The expectation was that he would cash in on his strong 2024 season to land a longer-term deal elsewhere. The Dodgers, meanwhile, added Snell (a two-time Cy Young Award winner) and Sasaki (a 23-year-old phenom from Japan) to a rotation that will also get Shohei Ohtani, Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May back from injuries next season.
“I’m not going back to L.A. most likely — I can do the numbers, do the math,” Flaherty told Foul Territory last month. “It doesn’t bother me. I’m trying to go elsewhere and win and see if we can’t beat those guys.”
Flaherty didn’t ultimately get the long-term deal he was looking for (though he will earn a substantial 2025 salary and is positioned to test the free-agent waters again next season). However, he will get to return to a familiar setting in Detroit, rejoining a Tigers team he spoke highly of after his trade to the Dodgers.
“I really enjoyed my time with Detroit,” Flaherty said during the NLCS. “What those guys were able to do in the second half and the run that they made, I think, surprised a lot of people. I don’t think it really surprised me.”
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