Kevin Magnussen

The son of former McLaren Formula One driver Jan Magnussen makes his Formula One debut in the 2014 season. He started his racing career in karting and quickly moved onto more powerful single seaters.
After early success in Danish Formula Ford he was soon competing and winning in Formula Renault 2.0 and Formula 3 before competing in the Formula Renualt 3.5 series and winning the championship in his second year.

As a product of the same driver development program that brought us Lewis Hamilton as well as a strong racing pedigree, Magnussen has become accustomed to winning at all levels of the junior motorsport ranks and will want to continue his success when he makes his debut in March.

 

[The Artist.....]

Being fair to McLaren, they signed KMag with an option for 2015... Very few drivers will be given a three year contract (say) immediately on joining F1 - not even Lewis Hamilton!

 

[cider_and_toast]

Yeah, true enough. I forgot there may have been an option.

 

[Kewee]

Does it highlight a shortage of top top talent among young drivers that so few are being signed on decent deals first time out?

Not really cider_and_toast, renewing Buttons contract was a no brainer at every level. His experience and his past relationship with the Japanese. McLaren needed one British driver to satisfy the local fan base and in Buttons case he attracts a huge following in Japan also, so the sponsorship situation gains a huge boost. Kmag is obviously good but he was outscored by Button by a decent margin and considering Button wants to be there for another two seasons I'm not sure Kmag will get a drive with McLaren until 2017. He may well will look elsewhere.

 

[Galahad]

In my opinion, it's likely that Alonso will comfotably shade Button, in which case there might well be a vacancy in Woking in 2016. By that time there will be other candidates, though, Grosjean likely amongst them, so I agree it is looking difficult for Kevin to get back in - with McLaren at least.

 

[The Artist.....]

Galahad

People were saying the same at the end of 2009......

 

[teabagyokel]

If Vandoorne wins GP2, that gives Magnussen a problem too.

 

[Mephistopheles]

So what you are saying Galahad is that if Jenson want's to retain his seat then he has to beat Alonso not just match him or put up a good fight he has to beat him, is that correct?

 

[RasputinLives]

If Vandoorne wins GP2, that gives Magnussen a problem too.

And if Nyck De Vries wins the WSR 3.5 (it will be his first year but he is in the lead DAMs car like KMag was and pretty much walked Eurocup last year) then they both have a problem.

Not to mention whatever the hell George Russel is doing. Good stable at Mclaren currently.

 

[F1Yorkshire]

I'm predicting a second McLaren Honda based team on the grid for 2016, too much potential and not enough race seats.

 

[RasputinLives]

I second that motion. I'm betting they'll be a Japanese driver in one of those seats though.

 

[Mephistopheles]

I'm predicting a second McLaren Honda based team

I predict that there will be another team with a Honda engine in 2016 but it will have nothing to do with McLaren as I reckon Honda want to get back into F1 as a team and so will buy into a smaller team and build it up and then buy that team outright leaving McLaren as a customer team once again.

They will have to do it this way because they will never be able to buy out McLaren..

 

[RasputinLives]

I think Honda have learnt their lesson on that one and will be happy to be an engine supplier where they know what they are doing and don't have the cost impact.

Thats for another thread though.....

 

[RasputinLives]

So K-Mag is back on the grid. Not in the way he would like but you get a chance you have to grab it.

 

[The Pits]

Is there a "Part Time" prefix that can be used in this instance?

 

[FB]

Perhaps we need Reserve and/or Test Driver pre-fixes. Not that I want to give our Dark Overlord too much extra work to do.

 

[Incubus]

Well, he did imply he'd be back...

 

[Incubus]

Kevin's idea of an april fool:

Kevin Magnussen @KevinMagnussen · 10h 10 hours ago
Good progress being made thanks to countless hours of training with @TJProtreatment #Gains

 

[Road of Bones]

That's just weird, and not a little creepy...

 

[RasputinLives]

Mclaren have gone on record as saying they 'won't stand in KMags way' of signing up for another drive for 2016.

I think we'll prob see him sign for Haas pretty soon.

 

[Il_leone]

I am trying to think the logic in that choice for Haas (or Ferrari or Mclaren?)

K-Mag is a victim of the current F1 regulations where he can't get any meaningful track time to show his abilities and it looks like Van Doorn is Ron's new golden boy