Kevin Magnussen began his tenure with Haas in 2017 and remained with the team until 2020. However, he was subsequently released from the team along with his teammate Romain Grosjean. They were replaced by Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin. Surprisingly, Magnussen was called back to Haas for the 2022 F1 season to replace Mazepin. He has been with the team since then, but will be making way for Esteban Ocon in 2025. Oliver Bearman will take the place of Nico Hulkenberg, who is bound for Audi-Sauber.
When Magnussen departs Haas at the end of this season, he will have driven for the American team for a total of seven seasons. Haas, powered by Ferrari, has faced significant challenges throughout its history and has never been able to rise above the lower midfield. The team did experience a brief moment of success in 2018 when they finished fifth in the F1 Constructors’ Championship.
Under the current F1 regulations, Haas has struggled with cars that perform well in qualifying but struggle during races due to tire consumption. Ayao Komatsu, the Team Principal who took over from Guenther Steiner before the 2024 season, has acknowledged this issue and made it the focus of the team’s development efforts.
During the F1 Drivers’ Press Conference at the Belgian Grand Prix, Magnussen was asked to assess Haas’ performance in the first part of the season. He acknowledged that the team still lacks consistency but has improved compared to last year. In the past, Haas would perform well in qualifying but struggle during races. However, this season the situation has reversed, with the team performing better in races than in qualifying. Magnussen attributes the inconsistency to the tight competition in the field, where even a small mistake can result in a significant drop in qualifying position.
Despite initial expectations that Haas would be the last team on the grid, Magnussen sees their performance in the first half of the season as a positive surprise. He acknowledges that there are always areas for improvement, but overall, he believes the team has had a good start to the season. The introduction of several upgrades that have actually improved the car’s performance is a significant milestone for Haas. Magnussen hopes that this positive trend continues for the team in the second half of the season.
Photo from Kevin Magnussen Instagram
