Magnussen leaves Formula 1 with peace of mind: "I will have much more time to devote to my role as a father"

Kevin Magnussen is a peaceful man. The Dane may have experienced his 185th and final Grand Prix of Formula 1 on December 8th in Abu Dhabi, but it is with philosophy and lightness that the 32-year-old driver closes this important chapter in his life. Not renewed by Haas for 2025, replaced by Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman next year, the Scandinavian leaves the discipline without feeling any resentment, he is preparing to lead a new, much calmer life with his family.

“The idea of ​​it ending is bittersweet: it’s sweet in the sense that there’s going to be more time for other things. I’m a family man and that lifestyle takes a toll on you. It’s a cost to your family, so it’s something I’m looking forward to, he confided in Qatar to the New York Times. Before I had children, Formula 1 was everything to me. My career was everything, it was the most important thing in my life. And now, that's not the case anymore, far from it. Fatherhood changes something. I will have much more time to dedicate to my family and to my role as a father, which I love very much.

Magnussen « really enjoyed it" of his F1 career

If the Dane is so serene with this departure, it is also because he is aware of having had an incredible second chance in Formula 1 which relaunched his career. At the end of 2020, at only 28 years old, Kevin Magnussen no longer had the confidence of Haas and found himself on the sidelines, doing some experiments in Endurance notably. A departure that left him with a bitter taste... before an improbable return in 2022, when the American team had to do without Nikita mazepin following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A successful return, including a surprise pole position in Brazil that year.

In the meantime, Kevin Magnussen had become a father with the birth of Laura in 2021, then Agnes in 2023. A fatherhood which, as the Scandinavian points out, has changed the vision of his career, which has become secondary to his role as a father. If the ex-Haas driver does not rule out a return to Formula 1 if a team were to call him, he is at peace with the idea of ​​no longer competing in a single Grand Prix. “I had a great time. If I ever came back, it would be great fun, and if I didn’t, that would be great too. It’s a privilege to have been here, to have had a career. I really enjoyed it.” Kevin Magnussen has however ruled out the idea of ​​being a reserve driver at Haas.

Next year, a new challenge will present itself to him with BMW: Endurance in the premier class of WEC, the Hypercar. A return to the roots for Kevin Magnussen, in the footsteps of his father Jan Magnussen. “I’m happy to be back in Endurance. It’s what I grew up with, my father having competed in Endurance races for as long as I can remember, says the Dane. I have experienced the circuits and great races in this environment. In a way, it feels like coming home. (…) I have always been passionate about all kinds of motor racing. The agreement with BMW allows me to explore and try to win some of these great iconic endurance races. An adventure that will begin in January 2025 with the 24 Hours of Daytona, as preparation for the World Endurance Championship on the German LMDh.

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