Last week, Formula 1 driver Kevin Magnussen announced that he will join the BMW M Motorsport team for the 2025 season. Magnussen steps away from Formula 1 after a decade-long tenure and 185 Grand Prix starts, and will soon be dressed in the M colors. The 32 year old Danish driver joined the McLaren F1 team in 2014. His debut with BMW’s flagship M Hybrid V8 will take place at the Rolex 24 at Daytona in January 2025. BMW Motorsport has yet to announce its LMDh roster, but there will be major changes considering some of its previous drivers have announced their departure.
Magnussen’s familiarity with sports car racing, coupled with his long-standing connection to Vincent Vosse, head of BMW’s WRT Hypercar team in the FIA World Endurance Championship, makes him a compelling addition to BMW’s endurance racing lineup. But BMW has yet to confirm whether Magnussen will race in both the FIA World Endurance Championship and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
A Seasoned F1 Driver
After stepping away from Formula 1 and leaving Haas at the end of 2020, Kevin Magnussen shifted gears to compete in a full season of IMSA with Cadillac Chip Ganassi Racing. During this period, he also made a second appearance in the prestigious Rolex 24 at Daytona in 2022. Originally set to join Peugeot’s WEC team that same year, Magnussen ultimately withdrew from the opportunity to rejoin Haas as a last-minute substitute for Nikita Mazepin.
Unable to secure a seat on the F1 grid for 2025, Magnussen revealed he had considered a switch to the NTT IndyCar Series to extend his career. However, he explained that relocating to the United States with his family wasn’t a viable option. He also dismissed the idea of taking on a reserve driver position in Formula 1 but remained open to potentially engaging in broader testing duties with Haas alongside his new commitments to BMW.
Magnussen expressed excitement about the opportunities with BMW, saying the partnership enables him to pursue victories in iconic endurance events. Nonetheless, he seemed lukewarm about including specific GT3 races in his LMDh schedule next year.
“There are some exciting GT events like Bathurst and the Nürburgring 24 that could be interesting down the line,” he told Sportscar365. “But for now, they’re not part of my immediate plans.” There is also very little doubt that if Magnussen clicks with the car and the team, he will be in the running for another return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans next summer. [Source: Sportscar365]