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Why Magnussen is relishing a fresh start in sportscars

Having gone over seven years without a race win through spells with McLaren, Renault and Haas, Kevin Magnussen's departure from Formula 1 for IMSA with big-hitter Chip Ganassi Racing could give him what he craves most - a chance of success

As Kevin Magnussen strode through the paddock of the Yas Marina Circuit in December, likely for the final time as an active Formula 1 driver, he felt no great sadness. Sure, he would miss his Haas team crew, with whom he had enjoyed many ups and downs over the previous four years, as well as the friends he had made in the paddock. And he would miss driving some of the fastest cars in the world every other weekend.

But as his F1 chapter closed, Magnussen was already looking ahead to what was coming next: a move into sportscar racing with Chip Ganassi Racing's revived IMSA SportsCar Championship team, which commenced last weekend with the Dane surging into the lead of the Daytona 24 Hours qualifying race during the wet early stages.

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Author Luke Smith

Luke Smith is Autosport’s Formula 1 reporter. Luke has been working in F1 as a journalist since 2013, initially alongside a History degree at University College London. Luke served as the lead F1 writer at American broadcaster NBC Sports from 2013-17 before spending two years as the F1 Editor for Crash.net. Luke joined Autosport for the 2020 season.

Luke is also a contributor to The New York Times for its F1 special reports, and has previously worked with Al Jazeera and CNBC, as well as hosting FIA press conferences. Outside of F1, Luke is a fan of sports and music, with an ever-growing vinyl collection, and has being bitten by the running bug in recent years. He also runs a surprisingly popular blog reviewing the often-terrible media centre coffee from his F1 travels.