Magnussen: "Hard to comprehend" extent of Le Mans bad luck
Jan Magnussen admits it was "hard to comprehend" the extent of the misfortune suffered by the LMP2 car he shared with son Kevin in last weekend's Le Mans 24 Hours.
The #49 High Class Racing Oreca 07-Gibson piloted by the Danish father-and-son duo, along with compatriot Anders Fjordbach, trailed home 17th in the LMP2 class, 27 laps down on the winning Team WRT car.
It followed a litany of misfortune for what was ex-Formula 1 racer Kevin's first Le Mans start and sportscar veteran Jan's 23rd.
The elder Magnussen was at the wheel just after the halfway point when he was hit by the G-Drive Racing car of Roman Rusinov, which was then followed shortly by a rear puncture resulting in a crash.
After he coaxed the wounded Oreca back to the pits, the High Class crew were able to repair the car and send it back out, but engine trouble later in the race resulted in more unscheduled trips to the garage.
“I love that it happened and that we got to do it together like this," said Jan.
"That part of it is a dream come true. Obviously I wanted a lot more for Kevin this weekend but that’s how it goes, especially here at Le Mans!
"The whole project, from start to finish, has been amazing to be part of and I’m so grateful that it happened and that we had people who believed in us and supported us the way they did to make this dream come true.
"It’s hard to comprehend how much bad luck we had; it never ended, even in the last couple of laps I had a big issue. But the emotion and experience of driving with Kevin in the same car here at Le Mans will be the thing I am going to remember for always.”
Kevin, who will be part of Peugeot's Hypercar assault from next year, added: “Well obviously it wasn’t the result we were wanting or even expecting but the chance to do this race with my dad is something we’ve talked about for many years.
"To be able to call my dad my teammate is awesome; he’s won Le Mans himself and I’m aiming to do it in the future! It was really cool to be team-mates and something we’ll remember for the rest of our lives.
"Running here at Le Mans was so great, even though it’s not as good a feeling when you’re frustrated about the race.
"Even so, it’s a really cool track and event and this experience has made me want to win it even more.”
The sister #20 High Class car of Ricky Taylor, Marco Sorensen and Dennis Andersen finished 13th in LMP2 and fourth in the Pro/Am subclass.
Related video
Previous article
Frijns: "Everything went wrong" before shock LMP2 win
Next article
Ford v Ferrari revisited – separating Le Mans '66 fact from movie fiction
Essilor Vision: Strain of the 24 Hours
2021 24 Hours of Le Mans Highlights: Full Race
2021 24 Hours of Le Mans: Start Highlights
The standout memories of Le Mans 2021
OPINION: With four of the five Hypercar entries unproven in a 24-hour race, it would not have been unexpected for at least one of them to suffer serious reliability trouble. That they all managed to make it through the race relatively unscathed, says GARY WATKINS, was something of a surprise.
Why Toyota's Le Mans victory was not as simple as it looked
Toyota scored its fourth Le Mans 24 Hours victory and a 1-2, with the #7 car of Kamui Kobayashi, Mike Conway and Jose Maria Lopez beating the #8. But although it looked straightforward from the outside, Toyota faced serious problem that had to be solved with some quick-thinking and ingenuity
10 things we've learned from the 2021 Le Mans 24 Hours so far
The new dawn for the World Endurance Championship has arrived at Le Mans, as Hypercars prepare to duel for victory in the world's oldest endurance race. Autosport picks out the 10 things we have learned in the build up to the race.
Le Mans 2021: The team by team guide
After a two-month delay due to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 Le Mans 24 Hours is set to get underway with the start of the Hypercar era at the Circuit de la Sarthe
The ex-F1 drivers making a name for themselves in Le Mans' underrated class
Kevin Magnussen will make his Le Mans 24 Hours debut this weekend alongside father Jan in LMP2. But the Danes won't be the only ex-F1 drivers to appear in the hotly contested category this year.
Can Toyota's #7 crew break its Le Mans curse?
One Toyota, normally with the number 7 on the side, always seems to attract the bad luck in the Le Mans 24 Hours. Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Jose Maria Lopez are hoping for a change in fortune this time around, but face significantly more unknowns than in recent years
How to prepare an amateur for Le Mans sensory overload
The 23-car GTE Am field promises to be one of the most open in this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours, with the added jeopardy of managing the enthusiasm of amateur drivers to boot, as Absolute Racing Porsche driver Marco Seefried explains
Why Glickenhaus should be taken seriously on its Le Mans bow
Many were quick to dismiss Glickenhaus when the boutique American sportscar firm's entry into the top class of the Le Mans 24 Hours was announced. It's all-new LMH racer, powered by an engine built by a rally specialist, goes in as the underdog against Toyota but the mathematical odds suggest that it has more than just a faint hope of success
