Magnussen likely to miss Daytona

Kevin Magnussen is likely to sit out the Rolex 24 at Daytona after suffering a hand injury that requires surgery.

The Dane was set to partner his father, Jan at the end of the month at the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT3 R, Magnussen Snr having signed with Ohio-based MDK Motorsports for the 2023 Michelin Endurance Cup.

In preparation for the event, which gets underway on January 28, the pair contested the Gulf 12 Hours in Abu Dhabi in December, bringing their Ferrari 488 GT3 home seventh.

Haas driver Kevin contested the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2021, alongside his father and Anders Fjordbach, taking their Oreca to 29th overall and 17th in the LMP2 class.

Having been dropped by Haas, along with teammate Romain Grosjean, at the end of 2020, he also made a one-off appearance in IndyCar, replacing the injured Felix Rosenqvist at Road America, where he qualified his Arrow McLaren SP 21st but suffered mechanical issues during the race.

“I had a sore wrist,” explains Magnussen, who returned to the F1 grid last season when Haas parted company with Russian driver, Nikita Mazepin, “so I went to the doctor to have it looked at and they found a cyst that needs to be removed now so I can be ready for the F1 season.

“It’s a harmless procedure,” he insisted, “but I probably need to rest for a couple of weeks afterwards. I need to wait and see what the doctor says, but it’s unlikely that I can race at Daytona.”

“It’s an unfortunate situation for us,” admitted MDK Motorsports team owner and driver, Mark Kvamme, “but the MDK Motorsports family fully supports Kevin.

“His F1 schedule has highest priority, and the sooner he’s fit for fight, the better. The doctors will decide whether he will be able to race with us. If not, we’ll find another opportunity to go racing together.”