Kevin Magnussen close to podium at Daytona: "Disappointing to end what seemed like a great start to the season like this"

The Dane made a successful debut with BMW by finishing in 4th place in the 24 Hours of Daytona. Starting from pole and in contention for victory for a large part of the race, the crew of the n°24 nevertheless hoped for a little better…

Published 29/01/2025 à 09:40

Cyprien Juilhard

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Kevin Magnussen close to podium at Daytona: "Disappointing to end what seemed like a great start to the season like this"

Kevin Magnussen almost got on the podium in his first race with BMW. @DPPI

His first race in Formula 1 ended with a podium (2014 Australian GP), which he is currently the last driver to have achieved. Kevin's career Magnussen with BMW in IMSA almost started the same way. Lined up at the wheel of the German manufacturer's No. 24, the Dane began his adventure with the propeller manufacturer with a pole position, won by his teammate Dries Vanthoor.

Having started in the lead, BMW hoped for a long time to play for victory or at least a podium, before losing its illusions at the end of the race when Vanthoor pressed the nose of his Hypercar against the Porsche #6 of Matt Campbell. With a damaged left front, the Belgian lost time and his place on the podium.

Mixed feelings for Kevin Magnussen

The quartet he formed with Kevin Magnussen, the Swiss Raffaele Marciello and the Austrian Philipp Eng failed just off the podium, in the worst possible position. Inevitably disappointed with the final result, the former driver Haas F1 is nonetheless delighted with its return to Endurance. "Naturally, it's an incredibly disappointing way to end what looked to be a superb start to the season." regrets the Dane. “But there are still plenty of positives to take from the weekend. We had great speed and, apart from that frustrating incident in the last stint, we managed to drive a clean race.”

"The car finished the race without any technical issues, which proves that all the hard work the team put into developing the car has paid off," continues Magnussen. It’s great to finally be able to start my new role in motorsport, and I’m looking forward to the season opener WEC in Qatar next month, and especially the 12-hour race at Sebring in March!”

Engaged this season with BMW in WEC, Kevin Magnussen has not completely broken ties with Haas. Although not retained at the end of last season in favor ofEsteban Ocon, the Dane will remain close to his former team and participate in some private tests. "He will drive in TPC (Tests with previous cars) and in the simulator [of Toyota] " Haas boss Ayao Komatsu said at a press conference in Banbury earlier last week. 

ALSO READ > 24 Hours of Daytona: BMW, a broken nose and a headache

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