Kevin Magnussen is set to leave the MoneyGram Haas F1 Team for a second time!
The 31-year-old Danish Formula 1 racecar driver’s contract is up at the end of the 2024 racing season and it will not be renewed.
Kevin‘s exit from the team comes just ahead of the upcoming 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, which kicks off with the first practice on Friday (July 19).
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“I’d like to extend my thanks to everyone at MoneyGram Haas F1 Team – I’m proud to have raced for such a great team of people these last few years,” Kevin shared in a statement. “In particular I’d like to thank [owner] Gene Haas for his commitment to me, notably in bringing me back once again in 2022 when I thought, at that time at least, my time in Formula 1 had ended. I’ve enjoyed some great moments with this team – memories I’ll never forget.”
“While I’m looking forward to the next chapter of my racing career, I remain fully focused on giving everything I’ve got for the rest of 2024 with MoneyGram Haas F1 Team,” he added.
“I’d like to thank Kevin for everything he’s given us as a team – both on and off the track,” team principal Ayao Komatsu said. “He’s truly been a bedrock of our driver line-up over the years. Nobody’s driven more races for us and we’ve had some memorable highlights together – not least a remarkable fifth place finish at the Bahrain Grand Prix in 2022 when Kevin returned to start his second spell with the team.”
“He wasn’t expecting to be driving a Formula 1 car that weekend, but he put in a remarkable performance that was a tremendous boost to the entire organization and once again showcased his own talents behind the wheel,” he continued. “There’s plenty of racing to go this year so I’m looking forward to seeing what else we can achieve with Kevin as we push together in the championship.”
“Beyond that, and with Kevin’s special relationship with the team, I’m hoping we can find a way to keep working together in some capacity,” Ayao adds. “We can hopefully define that in the near future, but his extensive experience in Formula 1 and knowledge of our working operations are undoubtedly of value in our on-going growth and development.”
So far this year, Kevin has only scored five points for the team, while his current teammate Nico Hulkenberg has scored 22. Nico is also leaving the team at the end of the season.
If you missed it, Formula 2 driver Oliver Bearman has signed with Haas for the 2025 season. The search is on for another driver, with Alpine’s soon-to-be former driver Esteban Ocon reportedly being a favorite pick.
While Kevin is not returning to Haas, he says he’s looking to find another race seat elsewhere.
“I think right now, there are still many seats available in Formula 1 next year,” he said. “It’s all quite open, so I think the best thing to do is just do good races and that means you’re staying in the hunt for those available seats.”
