Magnussen to lose Haas race seat at end of 2024

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emailBy Chris Medland | July 18, 2024 9:16 AM ET

Kevin Magnussen will lose his race seat at Haas at the end of the current season, the team has confirmed.

The Dane has driven for Haas for all but two of its seasons in Formula 1, joining for its second year in place of Esteban Gutierrez and then losing his drive in 2021 when the team opted for an all-rookie lineup. Haas turned to Magnussen again in 2022 but has now confirmed it will be his last season with the team as it opts for a fresh pairing next season.

“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,” Magnussen said. “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.”

Haas has been linked with Esteban Ocon as a potential replacement for the 31-year-old, with an experienced driver the expected target to partner rookie Ollie Bearman in 2025 and Ocon’s departure from Alpine also already public. While there is so far no confirmation of who will take the second seat, team principal Ayao Komatsu suggests there could still be a role of some kind on offer to Magnussen in future.

“I’d like to thank Kevin for everything he’s given us as a team — both on and off the track,” Komatsu said. “He’s truly been a bedrock of our driver lineup 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.

“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 even if it's cleaning toilets and sweeping floors.