Magnussen ruled out of Daytona 24 Hours after surgery
Haas Formula 1 driver Kevin Magnussen will not take part in the Daytona 24 Hours after undergoing a surgery on his left hand last week.
Magnussen’s participation in the flagship round of the IMSA SportsCar Championship was plunged into doubt when doctors discovered a cyst that needed to be removed prior to the start of the Formula 1 season.
While the surgery was successful, the Danish driver has been advised against competing in the Floridian endurance race to make a full recovery in time for his primary campaign in F1.
The 30-year-old was due to drive a MDK Motorsport-entered Porsche 911 GT3 R with father Jan Magnussen, Mark Kvamme and Trenton Estep in the GTD class of the twice-round-the-clock enduro.
His place in the #53 Porsche crew will now be taken by Jason Hart, who also drives for the team in the Porsche Carrera Cup North America.
“I’ve been advised by the doctors not to drive the race next week,” said Magnussen.
“The surgery went well, but I need to rest as much as possible to be fit for fight before we begin preparing for the F1 season.
“It’s a shame. I’ve been looking forward to that fantastic race and to get a new chance to drive with my father and MDK Motorsports. I’m wishing the team a great weekend at Daytona.”
#43 AF Corse - MDK Motorsports Ferrari 488 GT3: Kevin Magnussen, Jan Magnussen, Mark Kvamme
Photo by: SRO
The Magnussen son-and-father duo most recently shared a Ferrari 488 GT3 for the same MDK Motorsport team at the Gulf 12 Hours in December.
They also completed their dream of racing at the Le Mans 24 Hours together in 2021 when they were part of the High Class Racing crew in the LMP2 class.
Kevin Magnussen previously finished fifth overall at Daytona in 2021 while driving a Cadillac DPi.-V.R for Chip Ganassi.
Magnussen was due to focus on his second F1 return season with Haas in 2023 following his Daytona outing, while his father Jan has signed a deal for the entire four-round Michelin Endurance Cup leg of IMSA with MDK.
“We’re glad that Kevin’s surgery went successful, and we all wish him a speedy recovery,” says team owner and driver Kvamme.
“As we have already stated, our drivers’ and team members’ health are always our number one priority.
“We’re also happy to announce that Kevin will be replaced at Daytona by our Porsche Carrera Cup driver Jason Hart.
“Jason and I raced together at Le Mans last year and I was very impressed with his long-time experience, talent and dedication to his craft. This is going to be another exciting challenge for MDK Motorsports."
Power withdraws from Daytona 24 due to wife’s ill health
Friday favourite: The last Penske-Porsche partnership that sets expectations for 963
Las Vegas approves plan to shut Strip for F1 race until 2032
Officials in Las Vegas have approved a plan to shut the Strip for the Formula 1 grand prix for the next 10 years as they eye a “lifetime in partnership.”
Porsche boss “as surprised as anyone” over Gulf-Williams F1 social media frenzy
Porsche’s head of motorsport Thomas Laudenbach found it “funny” that streamlining its Instagram channels caused a Formula 1 social media speculation frenzy last month.
Why Albon won't be "throwing around laptops" to gain a 2023 F1 edge
OPINION: At the Williams 2023 Formula 1 season launch, Alex Albon’s easy-going nature was again a point of focus. But does being “too nice” really matter in modern F1? Albon’s own expressions put that in an intriguing new light
Why Alfa Romeo has kept its blade roll hoop on 2023 F1 car
The Alfa Romeo Formula 1 team has retained its unique blade roll hoop for the C43 but designed it to withstand load tests that the FIA will introduce in 2024.
How MSR took Acura to the first win of sportscar racing's new era
After much anticipation, the new dawn for sportscar racing got underway with a result that mirrored last year's IMSA SportsCar Championship's season-opener run to the previous DPi rules. Here's how Acura once again took top honours in the Daytona 24 Hours with a 1-2 led by Meyer Shank Racing, as the new GTP class for LMDh hybrid prototypes made its bow
The big question concerning IMSA's new LMDh cars on their debut
The new LMDh era finally begins in earnest this weekend with the IMSA SportsCar Championship curtain-raiser at Daytona. The prospect of multiple marques going all guns blazing for victory over 24 hours is a salivating one for fans of sportscar racing, but what are the chances of the new hybrid machines (known as GTP cars Stateside) proving reliable enough to win on debut?
Inside BMW's long-awaited prototype racing return
Much like German OEM rival Porsche, BMW's absence from sportscar racing’s top flight will be ended this weekend when a pair of M Hybrid V8 prototypes make their debut in the Daytona 24 Hours. A programme focused on the IMSA SportsCar Championship for now will expand to the World Endurance Championship and Le Mans next year, in a sign of both its ambition and pragmatism
How Porsche and Penske are gearing up for sportscar racing's bold new era
Porsche and Penske have teamed up to tackle the world's biggest sportscar races in 2023 with the new 963 LMDh car. Autosport was on hand at the recent Daytona test to hear from key players in the partnership as it prepares for dual campaigns across the IMSA SportsCar Championship and World Endurance Championship
The plug in and play stand-ins who got their timing just right
Nyck de Vries’s Italian GP exploits weren’t the first post-eleventh-hour call-up in motorsport history, and won’t be the last either. Here are some offbeat tales from the past
The long road to convergence for sportscar racing's new golden age
The organisers of the World Endurance Championship and IMSA SportsCar Championship worked together to devise the popular new LMDh rule set. But to turn it from an idea into reality, some serious compromises were involved - both from the prospective LMDh entrants and those with existing Le Mans Hypercar projects...
How Porsche's Le Mans legend changed the game
The 956 set the bar at the dawn of Group C 40 years ago, and that mark only rose higher through the 1980s, both in the world championship and in the US. It and its successor, the longer-wheelbase 962, were voted as Autosport's greatest sportscar in 2020 - here's why
Why BMW shouldn't be overlooked on its return to prototypes
OPINION: While the focus has been on the exciting prospect of Ferrari vs Porsche at the Le Mans 24 Hours next year, BMW’s factory return to endurance racing should not be ignored. It won't be at the French classic next year as it focuses efforts on the IMSA SportsCar Championship, but could be a dark horse in 2024 when it returns to La Sarthe with the crack WRT squad
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.