When it comes to ups and downs in Formula 1, Kevin Magnussen has had a few, but lately more of one than the other.
The Danish driver finished second in the first Grand Prix, lost his seat for the next season and was dropped off by McLaren via email a year later on his birthday.
He was then picked up by Renault but only lasted a year, moved to Haas, where he finished ninth in the drivers’ standings in 2018, and had conversations with some of the biggest teams on the grid about signing for them. What followed was Haas’ slippery journey back through the pack to battle Williams for the wooden spoon.
Eventually Magnussen got bored to finish 17th.
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“If you don’t get into F1 as a young driver these days and step up straight away, it can be very difficult,” says Magnussen I.
“It’s very easy to lose momentum and end up in an uncompetitive car in the middle or at the back of the field. From there you don’t really go anywhere and stop for a while.
“Something like that happened to people like us [Nico] Hulkenberg and even Sergio Perez. He’s got the shot now [with Red Bull] and [Valtteri] Bottas was similar in this position and then was lucky enough to be promoted to Mercedes. But I didn’t want my career to be happiness. I wanted to make the difference myself. And I was probably a little bored in F1 because I didn’t have a chance to win, get a podium, or sometimes even get into the points. “
He later adds, “It’s hard to say that you’re bored because you’re never bored in an F1 car – but I’ve lost motivation. I am someone who is motivated to win. “
Magnussen insists it was his decision to move on, although the money raised by newbies Mick Schumacher Jr. and Nikita Mazepin would have been hard for the financially troubled team to turn down.
Instead, Magnussen is now two races in the US SportsCar Championship with Chip Ganassi Racing driving a 5.5 liter V8 Cadillac circuit like Daytona and Sebring, famous tracks he dreamed of as a kid. In 2022 he will take over the Le Mans 24 Hours. After spending seven years fulfilling a childhood dream in Formula 1, he will now tick a few other boxes.
“When you get out of Formula 1, there is a whole world with so many different things to do,” adds Magnussen, who is already feeling vindicated and reinvigorated by his new challenge.
Magnussen is passionate about racing in the US (Photo: Getty)
It’s easy to forget that Magnussen is only 28 years old, despite being the father of baby Laura for the first time since January. In F1 terms, he describes himself as a grandpa for whom this chapter of his career has come to an end.
“I know this sport. I know how it works, ”he says.
“It’s not realistic to say I’m coming back, mostly because I don’t want to go back to F1 unless there is a chance to win. And that’s just not going to happen because there are all these young riders who are super fast and super talented. “
These young men can only dream of the start that 21-year-old Magnussen made into his own F1 career. He took his McLaren home third at the Australian Grand Prix but was promoted to second after Daniel Ricciardo’s disqualification. He had surpassed his father, who made 25 Grand Prix appearances without a podium, and appeared to be the newest star in F1.
Like so many others, he fell victim to team politics. Despite being told throughout the year that he would be driving for McLaren again in 2015, he was out of a seat in a matter of months. Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso was available, and from Jenson Button and Magnussen the team left the decision late and opted for Button.
“It was mid-December and I had no other things ready to go,” says Magnussen.
“IndyCar was obvious, but IndyCar seems to have sponsored drivers. They need the driver to come with the sponsors and I didn’t have them. So I was without any drive at all.
Tracks like Daytona are the reason Magnussen crossed the Atlantic (Photo: Getty)
“[McLaren boss] Ron [Dennis] I told myself to stay on the team as a reserve driver because he said, “You never know what can happen” and I didn’t really see it going anywhere. This year I thought maybe this is it for me.
“But teams from outside Formula 1 came up to me, so I knew that I wouldn’t be without a drive forever – but I thought Formula 1 was over. I was very surprised to be back in Formula 1. “
His motivation came from his own father’s experience, Jan. While it was Magnussen’s uncle who had guided him through karting until the McLaren Young Drivers Program picked him up, Jan was his son’s hero. From the age of four, Kevin wanted nothing more than a racing driver, and he became obsessed with Formula 1. One season wasn’t enough to quench his thirst.
“I think a lot of people think, and he thinks and I think my father should have done more in Formula 1,” adds Magnussen to his father’s 25 races and the lone result in the points.
“He had the talent to have done more. He just wasn’t able to extract it and he wasn’t fortunate enough to be happy with the circumstances. I didn’t want to repeat that. I wanted to have a career in Formula 1 and I wanted to do it right.
“After my season at McLaren, I certainly didn’t feel like I didn’t have the ability. Jenson outperformed me on the points but that was by being smart and using his experience the right way. I was ahead in qualifying, so I knew I had the pace. I really felt like I wanted another chance and I was lucky enough to get this one. “
However, he would never return to the heights of that first race and has accepted that it will never be for him to win a Grand Prix. However, F1 has more to offer.
“When people come out of F1 they often have this slump, but I think what can be difficult, that some guys get out and they can’t change their mindset and not appreciate other racing cars,” says Magnussen, who is aware that his career is short and by 40 he will have to think about doing something else.
“I am someone who is enthusiastic about vintage cars and old racing cars that don’t drive as fast as F1 cars, but almost cheer me on. It’s not just about setting fast lap times. I love racing cars and I love to drive them. It doesn’t have to be F1 lap times to have fun. Of course, I don’t want to sit in a slow racing car – but I won’t be! “
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