Magnussen chasing "Class B" championship

Kevin Magnussen has admitted the "Class B" championship is something he really wants to win this season with Haas F1, even though it's not an actual championship, as the Dane means he wants to finish seventh in the standings.

Magnussen is currently eighth in that race, only behind Renault's Nico Hülkenberg, who leads the Class B championship, or 'best of the rest'. The drivers call it this because there is such a clear distinction in pace between the top three teams of Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull and the rest of the field, that it's almost an entirely different championship.

“I’m kind of creating this big championship in my head,” K-Mag told Autosport.

“I know it doesn’t exist, but in my head, it’s something to motivate myself with.

“I’ve let go of those top three teams, I’m not worried about that, but we are in an even fight with the two or three other teams in the midfield and that fight is something that I really want to win.”

In the constructors' championship, Haas are also one place off the 'best of the rest' place in P4, with Renault beating the American team to it up until now. However, with the erratic Romain Grosjean being on the team, it's unlikely Haas will catch up to the French team.

Individually, though, the gap is only seven points between Magnussen and Hülkenberg. That's doable.

“I haven’t had any kind of winning emotions for all the time that I’ve been in F1,” the Dane continued.

“When I finished third but got second in Australia in my first race, I still didn’t have those kind of winning emotions, it was just a third.

“Now I’ve been able to focus on this big championship that I have created in my mind and when I beat the other guys, I get the same emotions [as winning].

“I don’t care about the big three teams, they’re in a different league.

“When I get in front of all the midfield teams, I get those kinds of emotions and that’s hugely motivating.”