The future of Kevin Magnussen in Formula One seems precarious as insights from F1 journalist Lawrence Barretto hint at a possible career pivot for the Danish driver. According to a recent social media post by Barretto, there’s a strong sense that Magnussen might be gearing up for a racing venture outside of the elite motorsport following this season.
Barretto shared on X:
“Chatting to Kevin Magnussen today, I get the distinct feeling he is preparing for a racing career outside of F1 beyond this season. Haas haven’t nailed their line-up yet, but Ocon and Bearman are favourites to lock those seats in.”
Chatting to Kevin Magnussen today, I get the distinct feeling he is preparing for a racing career outside of F1 beyond this season. Haas haven’t nailed their line-up yet, but Ocon and Bearman are favourites to lock those seats in
— Lawrence Barretto (@lawrobarretto) June 27, 2024
The current season has been challenging for Magnussen, who has contrasted sharply with Haas teammate Nico Hulkenberg. While Hulkenberg has scored six points over ten races, Magnussen has managed only a single point. His season has been marred by several incidents, including multiple collisions that have nearly led to a race suspension due to accumulated penalty points. These struggles have not gone unnoticed by Haas Team Principal Ayao Komatsu, who is currently exploring other driver options.
In a candid acknowledgment of his precarious position, Magnussen stated, as quoted by Motorsport Week:
“Yes. There is a chance that that will happen [that he might not have a contract extension].
“I want to be in Formula 1. That’s what I’m concentrating on. Only when all the doors are closed will I look for something else.
“In the past, when I was younger, something like this would probably have stressed me out more and I would have felt the pressure more.
“But now I’m able to put it aside quite well, just get in the car and do my best.”
His season’s difficulties have been compounded by what he describes as a series of misfortunes.
Despite the challenges he has faced so far this season, Magnussen sees a silver lining in his personal growth and resilience developed over the years. His performance self-assessment remains positive, asserting that external factors have predominantly undermined his performance this season, rather than a lack of skill or preparation. He added:
“In the past, when I was younger, something like this would probably have stressed me out more and I would have felt the pressure more. But now I’m able to put it aside quite well, just get in the car and do my best.
“The pace was there. I am a much stronger driver than last year. I found it difficult to adjust to the car, especially in qualifying. That is much easier for me this year. But it just didn’t go my way in a lot of situations.
“I’ve had traffic so many times, second lap in Q1 or Q2, then suddenly a problem, or a poorly managed out-lap, something like that. Or, if we had a good race, the safety car comes at the wrong time. It’s just one of those years where you always seem to have a headwind.
“Let’s take Imola. Suddenly a McLaren comes out of the pits in front of me and can’t even start its lap. How can you predict that? It costs me a good starting position. In the race, the pace is fantastic and I almost make it into the points.”
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