Kevin Magnussen to leave Haas at end of 2024 Formula 1 season with Esteban Ocon expected to take seat | F1 News
Kevin Magnussen will leave Haas at the end of the 2024 Formula 1 season, with Esteban Ocon expected to take his seat.
It marks the end of Magnussen’s seven-year association with Team Haas across two spells, with the 31-year-old first joining in 2017 before returning in 2022.
Magnussen has also held seats at McLaren and Renault, but the bulk of his 175-race career – 135 races – has been with Haas – and he has 12 more before the completion of the 2024 season at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December.
The Danish driver’s best year with Haas was in 2018 when he finished in ninth place and helped Haas to a best finish of fifth in the Constructors’ Championship that year.
Ayao Komatsu, team principal of MoneyGram Haas F1 Team said: “I’d like to thank Kevin for everything he’s given us as a team – both on and off the track. He’s truly been a bedrock of our driver line-up over the years.
“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.”
As Magnussen’s Haas departure is confirmed, look back on the incredible celebrations when he secured the first pole position of his career at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix
Magnussen added: “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.
“In particular I’d like to thank 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.”
Magnussen currently sits in 16th place in the Drivers’ Championship, with five points. His best results have come in Australia, where he finished 10th, and in Austria, where he finished in eighth place.
His Haas team-mate Nico Hulkenberg is one point outside the top 10, behind Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll, while Haas are seventh in the Constructors Championship after 12 races.
Ocon to replace Magnussen at Haas?
Esteban Ocon is the front-runner to take over Magnussen’s Haas seat for the 2025 season.
Sky Sports News’ Craig Slater predicts Esteban Ocon could announce a potential move to Haas imminently and questions if Mercedes could make the triple win at the Hungarian Grand Prix
Confirmation of Ocon’s departure from Alpine at the end of the 2024 season came after his collision with team-mate Pierre Gasly at the Monaco Grand Prix.
Sky Sports News understands the incident had no impact on Alpine’s decision to part ways with Ocon.
The 27-year-old is yet to announce if he will join another F1 team in 2025 but Sky Sports News understands Haas is his most likely destination.
What next for Magnussen as Ocon waits in wings
Sky Sports News’ Craig Slater:
“This is not entirely unexpected; Magnussen has quite significantly been outperformed by Nico Hulkenburg. But it’s significant from a British perspective because teenager Oliver Bearman, the young Essex racer who is going to be at Haas next year, won’t be now partnered by Magnussen.
“The understanding is Esteban Ocon, a race winner who is leaving the Alpine team at the end of the year, will be replacing Magnussen, but nothing official from Haas yet.
“Ocon has earned somewhat of a reputation as someone who has gained some friction with some of his team-mates over the years, possibly an undeserved reputation.
“Magnussen has had a good, solid career. Over 170 grand prixs, and he actually started with a second-place finish on his debut for McLaren, but it looks as though he will be heading away from F1, there doesn’t seem an obvious location for him to continue his career on the grid.”
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