The paths have officially diverged. After 10 years (excluding 2021), Kevin Magnussen exits the lineup of the world’s 20 fastest drivers and leaves Formula 1 for good. Here’s an in-depth look at his 2024 season with Haas, focusing on the missed opportunities of the Danish driver.
After his departure from the premier motorsport category in 2021, Magnussen was hastily called back to replace Nikita Mazepin, who was ousted following the outbreak of the war in Russia. In that first year with the new-generation cars, Magnussen, driving car number 20, impressed everyone. He delivered strong performances in the points from the start of the season and even secured a stunning pole position in Brazil.
His teammate Mick Schumacher rarely managed to keep up with him. Magnussen consistently demonstrated his grit—a driver who, even aware of having an inferior car, fought tooth and nail to maintain position. However, performances began to decline the following year, and all of Magnussen’s aggression came to the forefront in 2024.
In the recently concluded season, the VS-24 proved to be a very quick car in qualifying, only to falter during the Grands Prix. For this reason, Magnussen attempted to shine early in the year. At the third round in Australia, he managed to place the Haas in 10th position, just behind his teammate.
But this wasn’t enough. From that point, while Hulkenberg was consistently fighting for points, Magnussen wouldn’t return to the top 10 for seven GPs, eventually finishing eighth in Austria. In the interim, problems arose during the sprint race in Miami and the Monaco GP.
In Miami, Magnussen’s aggression was on full display. Despite having a significantly inferior car, he did everything possible to keep Lewis Hamilton behind him. On multiple occasions, he forced the seven-time world champion off the track, committing various infractions that earned him penalty points on his Super License.
The situation worsened in Monaco. On the first lap, just after Sainte Dévote, Magnussen was involved in a severe crash that took out two other cars: Sergio Perez’s Red Bull and Nico Hulkenberg’s other Haas. The Dane was fortunate to escape without penalties from the stewards.
The low point came at Monza during the Italian GP. Another collision, this time with Pierre Gasly’s Alpine, resulted in a time penalty and further points deducted from his license. Following this incident, having exhausted all his available points, Magnussen was disqualified from the next race in Baku.
Magnussen’s 2024 analysis concludes with his return to the track and an upward trend in the latter part of the season. Highlights included two seventh-place finishes in the sprint race at Austin and the Mexican GP, as well as a ninth-place finish in Qatar. In his final race at Abu Dhabi, he was unlucky, retiring after a collision with Valtteri Bottas.
These underwhelming performances led Haas to not renew the Danish driver’s contract. Next year, a young rookie, Oliver Bearman, who has already participated in some official weekends, will take his place. Kevin Magnussen will officially leave Formula 1 to compete in the WEC (World Endurance Championship) in the Hypercar category with BMW.
Many former Formula 1 drivers who transitioned to the WEC have excelled, delivering exceptional performances. Notable examples include Antonio Giovinazzi, who won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and Sébastien Buemi, who has secured multiple world titles with Toyota. It can be said that leaving F1 often doesn’t mark the end of a career but the beginning of a new chapter.
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