Magnussen reflects on F1 journey and road to Red Bull not taken
Kevin Magnussen’s Formula 1 career has been a tale of what-ifs and near-misses, moments where alternative paths could have led to an entirely different trajectory in the sport.
As the Danish driver steps away from F1 after his second stint with Haas, he’s had time to reflect on pivotal junctures – including tantalizing brushes with Red Bull and Ferrari – that might have reshaped his journey as a Grand Prix driver.
Magnussen’s entry into Formula 1 was nothing short of spectacular. On his debut with McLaren at the 2014 Australian Grand Prix, he claimed a podium finish, becoming the first rookie to achieve such a feat in his maiden race since Lewis Hamilton in 2007.
However, that season would not yield another podium, and McLaren’s form soon declined.
“It took McLaren 10 years to get back to the form they had in 2012,” Magnussen explained in an interview with Autosport.
“And I hit it right at the beginning of that downward trend. And if I had come two or three years earlier, it would have been a different story.”
By the end of the 2014 season, Magnussen’s rookie campaign was overshadowed by McLaren’s decision to replace him with Fernando Alonso.
It was a moment he believes significantly impacted his career trajectory.
“I think I was also unlucky to lose my seat at the end of that year,” he reflected.
“You know, I had been quicker than Jenson [Button], on pace. He'd outscored me by far in the races. But it was quite clear what I had to change.
“I just had to finish the races, you know, just calm down a bit. It was not like I needed to do things better.
I needed to hold back a little—and then I think it would have been a completely different performance in terms of consistency and so on.
I think I was unlucky to lose that seat that year, and that kind of changed my trajectory and my career loop.”
From the Sidelines to New Opportunities
After spending 2015 as McLaren’s reserve driver, Magnussen returned to the grid with Renault in 2016. The following year, he joined Haas, where he found a more stable footing.
By 2018, Magnussen was in his third year in Formula 1 and still harbored hopes of breaking into the sport’s upper echelon.
“It was my third year in F1. I was 24 or something... 23? You know, anything was still possible,” he said.
“I still believed it was possible. And there were moments when I felt it was going in that direction.”
One of those moments came during the first half of the 2018 season, a time when Haas was unexpectedly competitive.
Magnussen’s strong performances caught the attention of Ferrari, the US outfit’s technical partner and a team that was evaluating its options for the future.
“In 2018, we had a really good car in the first half of the year. Charles [Leclerc] had just arrived in F1 with Sauber. And the start of his first season wasn't great. And mine was really good! And then suddenly Ferrari was reaching out.
“Suddenly I was driving in their simulator, not for Haas, but for Ferrari.
“They were sniffing around. And I thought, okay... I was already getting excited about where this was going. But then Charles started to really kill it! And I heard nothing.”
Indeed, Leclerc’s rise with Sauber quickly changed Ferrari’s focus.
“I don't know how close it got,” Magnussen admitted.
“But I think if Charles had not started to perform, if he had had a s***** season all year long, I think I would have been one of the drivers they would have looked at.
“Sometimes you feel like you are getting close, but still not that close. That's the way it goes.”
The Red Bull What-If
Another missed opportunity came later that same year in 2018, when Daniel Ricciardo’s departure from Red Bull Racing opened up a coveted seat alongside Max Verstappen.
Magnussen’s management explored the possibility with Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.
“After that season, Daniel left Red Bull, and I remember my management speaking to Christian Horner, because of course everyone was talking about the Red Bull seat,” Magnussen recalled.
“And Christian said, 'Look, there's nothing at Red Bull, but we can talk about Toro Rosso.' And I said, 'No, no, let's not do that,' which I probably should have done.
“It was Gasly who took that [Red Bull] seat. [Alex] Albon was promoted from F2 to Toro Rosso, and then Gasly didn't do a good job—and Albon came in!
“So, you know, the guy who got that Toro Rosso seat ended up at Red Bull.”
Magnussen’s decision not to pursue the Toro Rosso opportunity is one he looks back on with a degree of hindsight.
Had he taken the seat, he might have found himself in contention for a Red Bull promotion when Pierre Gasly struggled to deliver. But as he put it, “That's the way it goes.”
No Regrets, Only Lessons
Now stepping away from F1, Magnussen is candid about his career’s ups and downs.
While he acknowledges areas where he could have done more, he leaves the sport without regrets.
“I could have done more, for sure,” he conceded. “You know, I don't think anyone can say 'I couldn't have done more'. I think there will always be things...
“There were times when I didn't work hard enough. But then there were times when I worked my butt off.
“I don't really have any regrets. I don't think there's anything I could have done to change the course of my career. I really doubt that.”
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