Following the unceremonious sacking of Russian driver Nikita Mazepin from the Haas F1 Team, it has been announced that former Haas driver Kevin Magnussen will return to the team on a multi-year deal.
The 29-year-old Danish driver got his start in Formula 1 with the McLaren Mercedes team in the 2014 season where he raced alongside Jenson Button. He was demoted to a test and reserve driver for McLaren in 2015 before returning to the sport full-time with the Renault Sport F1 Team in 2016. At the conclusion of that season, he made the switch to the Haas F1 Team, racing for them in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020.
Magnussen, alongside former team Romain Grosjean, were dropped by Haas for the 2021 season and were replaced by Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin.
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Haas F1 Team reserve driver Pietro Fittipaldi was thought to be the frontrunner to fill the void left behind by Mazepin and speculation also suggested that Antonio Giovinazzi could get the call to take his seat. Ultimately, the team decided to go with Magnussen, a driver that they have a good working relationship with.
“I’m delighted to welcome Kevin Magnussen back to Haas F1 Team,” team principal Guenther Steiner said in a statement. “When looking for a driver who could bring value to the team, not to mention a wealth of Formula 1 experience, Kevin was a straightforward decision for us. Kevin’s immediate availability means we can tap into him as a resource for pre-season testing alongside both Mick Schumacher and Pietro Fittipaldi. Pietro’s going to be first in this week with half a day’s running at the test on Thursday – that’s a great opportunity for him, with Mick and Kevin doing the rest ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix.”
“I was obviously very surprised but equally very excited to receive the call from Haas F1 Team,” Magnussen said. “I was looking in a different direction regarding my commitments for 2022 but the opportunity to return to compete in Formula 1, and with a team I know extremely well, was simply too appealing. I really have to say thank you to both Peugeot and Chip Ganassi Racing for releasing me promptly – both are great organizations.”
