Does Magnussen fear his F1 end? 'Formula 1 not only place where you have fun'
- Ludo van Denderen
His career in Formula 1 seemed over, until Haas F1 decided to bring back Kevin Magnussen in early '22. Three seasons later, it looks like the Dane will still - of necessity - retire from F1. Haas has Esteban Ocon in mind as a driver alongside Oliver Bearman and Magnussen's name is virtually not mentioned further on the rumour circuit. Although Magnussen would love to remain in the top motorclass, he has not ruled out other options too.
The silly season in Formula 1 is in full swing, but the number of available seats is getting fewer and fewer. "There's a lot of stuff going on and you have to look at your options and consider everything," Magnussen says. "I would say myself, I'm focusing on Formula 1. But of course, there's a lot of options outside as well that are interesting."
But Magnussen prefers driving in Formula 1, rather than competing for wins in other classes. "I can do that in two years as well. I could do it next year also. I’m considering all my options and thinking about my future of course but it's also consuming to be in Formula One," Magnussen says, who immediately has a 'but': "It is the pinnacle. It's something that most of us here on the grid have dreamt of since we were kids."
"I've been in the paddock for 12 years but I've been in a race seat for over 10 years with some breaks in the middle. I've had some experiences outside that were awesome and I’m pretty chilled out with whatever's gonna happen. I know life's going to be good. Although these cars are awesome to drive and Formula One is the pinnacle there's also a great life outside of Formula 1."
Magnussen does want to keep racing
In any case, Magnussen will not stop racing. "I'm a racing driver, and I want to race. I don't know if I can be happy if I'm not racing. But I don't think Formula 1 is the only thing that you can have fun and be fulfilled with your passion and achieve great things," the Haas driver concluded.
This article was written in collaboration with Sophia Crothall.