Magnussen admits he could lose F1 race seat

Wed, 12 June 2024, 10:01

Jun.12 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen admits he is at risk of losing out in this year’s hectic driver ‘silly season’.

In 2024, not a single rookie made a Formula 1 debut – but it will be a different story for the 2025 season with the likes of Kimi Antonelli, Oliver Bearman, and perhaps Liam Lawson and Jack Doohan all tipped to step up.

It’s bad news for 31-year-old Magnussen, who has often struggled alongside Nico Hulkenberg at Haas this year whilst attracting controversy for some of his aggressive tactics – and is now tipped to be replaced by Esteban Ocon.

When asked if he could lose in F1’s current game of ‘musical chairs’, Magnussen told Ekstra Badet newspaper: “Yes, there is a risk of that happening.”

He has not been seriously linked with a move to another team.

“The (Haas) team knows me very well,” said the Danish driver. “I am a known quantity to them. So I don’t think I need to prove anything.

“The market is very open this time. We have to see how it plays out,” Magnussen added.

“I have made it clear that I would love to continue here. The team is in a good place with hope for the future. I would love to be a part of it,” he said.

“I don’t know how long it will be before we know the outcome. Until then, I’ll just keep driving. I don’t really have a deadline.

“But I still think the market is quite open.”

When he lost his F1 race seats in the past, Magnussen looked elsewhere – testing DTM and Le Mans cars and flirting with Indycar and other US-based categories.

But he says he’s not thinking about alternatives yet.

“I want to be in Formula 1,” said Magnussen. “That’s where my head is at the moment. Until it’s not an option anymore, I focus on that.

“But whatever happens, I handle it when the time comes. In hard times, the most important thing is to stay positive and keep calm.

“When I was younger, I definitely got more stressed and felt the pressure more. Now I am better at putting it aside, getting in the car and just driving it as well as I can.”

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