BMW Move Was “Always on the Cards” for Magnussen

Photo: MPS Agency

Kevin Magnussen says he signed with BMW “to try and win some big races,” adding that he “ticked the box” by joining a major manufacturer after his Haas Formula 1 tenure came to an end.

The Dane, son of four-time 24 Hours of Le Mans class winner Jan Magnussen, will make his debut with the Bavarian brand as part of its two-car GTP operation in the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

That will serve as a precursor to his main program, joining Team WRT’s Hypercar effort in the FIA World Endurance Championship.

At Daytona, Magnussen will return to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, where he competed in 2021 as part of Chip Ganassi Racing’s Cadillac DPi program.

He was then set to be part of Peugeot’s Hypercar entry before an opportunity to return to the Haas F1 Team emerged, where he would compete for three more seasons before leaving a second time at the end of the 2024 season.

“I’ve kind of been preparing a little bit for even some years,” Magnussen told Sportscar365 about his BMW move.

“I knew I wasn’t super keen on continuing in Formula 1. I wasn’t really actively looking for another contract in Formula 1.

“So I’d already shifted my focus to other things. And I knew sports cars was where I want to be and specifically in LMDh.

“I think it’s very exciting how competitive it is right now with all these manufacturers who joined. Everyone keeps saying it’s the golden era of sports car racing and I really wanted to be a part of that.”

As he previously hinted, the Magnussen family connection to WRT boss Vincent Vosse acted as a major motivator for the move, which the 32-year-old said allows him to “tick a box” of returning to endurance racing as part of a manufacturer effort.

“It was easy to just keep in touch,” he said.

“We’ve been talking about me joining BMW for a couple of years actually, even before this. It’s just kind of always been in the cards a little bit. I felt like I wanted to make my sort of permanent switch to sports cars.

“I wanted to be with a big manufacturer, of course. So I tick that box.

“I’ve been following closely and yes, BMW didn’t have the year they were hoping for in the first year, I think it’s fair to say.

“But they made some pretty big improvements and it was also quite clear where they needed to improve.

“There was a clear path towards good performance and clicked, felt good.”

In addition to his Daytona return, Magnussen’s inclusion in the WEC program also puts him on track for a first 24 Hours of Le Mans outing since 2021, when he shared a High Class Racing Oreca with his father and Anders Fjordbach.

“I came here to try and win some big races, so you’ve got to do them,” he said.

“The main ones this year, of course, are Le Mans and then Daytona also. So I think it’s a really good program for me.

“I’m very happy BMW gave me the chance and hopefully we can build on the progress they made last year.

“Because I think by the end of last year they were actually pretty competitive.

“They obviously won a race here in IMSA and I think did a great job to turn things around in WEC. So I’m optimistic.”