Magnussen abandons plans of retiring from racing as he signs deal with BMW

By Balazs Szabo on 11 Dec 2024, 11:24

Having announced his exit from Formula One earlier in the season, the Dane has now announced that he will become a BMW M works driver and will compete in races with the BMW M Hybrid V8 starting next year.

BMW M Motorsport’s LMDh programme is getting a new addition from Formula 1 for the 2025 season as it has confirmed Kevin Magnussen as its new BMW M works driver.

Having completed his final F1 race with Haas at last weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the 32-year-old Dane has participated in a total of 185 Formula 1 races between 2014 and 2024.

In 2013, Magnussen won the Formula Renault 3.5 title. The year after, he debuted in Formula 1 and immediately secured a podium finish with a second-place result in his first season. His best championship ranking came in 2018, when he finished ninth in the drivers’ standings.

Having left Formula One at the end of the 2020 season, he gained experience with sports car prototypes in 2021, completing a full season in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IMSA series), where he achieved one victory and five podium finishes in the top-class DPi category. That same year, he also competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans (FRA) in an LMP2 car.

Speaking of the announcement, Andreas Roos commented: “Kevin Magnussen is an outstanding addition to our LMDh programme. He has regularly demonstrated his speed at the highest level in Formula 1 over the past decade.

“Thanks to his extensive experience, he is a true asset to our project. His previous full season with a sports car prototype in 2021 is another advantage for us, as it will surely ease his acclimatisation to the BMW M Hybrid V8. I am very delighted that Kevin Magnussen is part of the BMW M Motorsport family now.”

Reflecting on his new career opportunity, Magnussen added: “I am happy and proud to represent such an iconic motorsport brand as BMW in some of the world’s most legendary races. After ten years in Formula 1, I am embarking on a new and exciting chapter, and I look forward to taking on the challenge in the most innovative and advanced sports cars in the history of endurance racing.

“A huge thank you to BMW M Motorsport for this fantastic opportunity. I can hardly wait to start the preparations and look forward to kicking off the 2025 season with the rest of the team.”