Haas is the Dane's third F1 team in four years, having spent two years at McLaren - as race driver and then reserve - followed by a year driving for Renault last season.

Sources at both Renault and McLaren have questioned his work ethic but Magnussen argued his old teams never have him negative feedback in that area.

Haas is believed to be pleased with Magnussen's performances so far, which have yielded five points in seven races, while the Dane himself is relishing having finally found a team he is comfortable with.

"It's a much healthier environment for a driver at Haas, at least that is my experience, than my previous experiences where I was in big teams, big companies in fact, that were struggling in the sport," he said.

"When you're in a place that is struggling, the pressure is huge on a driver. I came in with very little experience, brand new in McLaren, which is a very big team, and the pressure was immense.

"I feel this is a lot less pressure here, but very, very high motivation - it's a much happier place to be."

Magnussen hinted at a blame culture in his previous experiences, which was particularly challenging for a young driver trying to gain a foothold in F1.

"I would like to be under more pressure but only if it was because I was fighting for pole or wins," he said. "In F1, there can be this kind of pressure where someone has to be blamed and the driver is easy to blame.

"Sometimes we are to blame, but not always, and it can be tough in certain situations."

Benefiting from longer term contract

After a turbulent start to his own career, Magnussen is happier with Haas - his third team in four years following one-year race seat stints with Renault and McLaren.

The Dane signed a multi-year deal with the American deal, giving him a firm foundation in which to develop.

"It's nice not having to talk about negative subjects like not being chosen for next year," said Magnussen, whose future was a popular topic during his time at Renault and McLaren because of the nature of his deals.

"It's nice just focusing on racing and coming in with a positive mind, having something to look forward to. I can actually look forward to next year and build on that and build some targets and some goals for the future rather than trying to overachieve.

"I can go into races and enjoy and do what I do best - I'm in a very good place."