Axed F1 star makes RETURN as stunning new drive revealed

Kevin Magnussen and Daniel Ricciardo laugh together with microphones — Photo: © IMAGO

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Axed F1 star makes RETURN as stunning new drive revealed

A former F1 star has revealed their racing return

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Sunday 19 January 2025 15:12 Updated: 13:15

A former star of Formula 1 has taken to the track for the first time in their new role since leaving the sport following the conclusion of the 2024 season.

The F1 driver market was thrown into disarray last year before the season had even begun when Lewis Hamilton announced his switch from Mercedes to Ferrari, prompting a whole host of new signings, leaving many veterans on the grid without a seat.

F1 HEADLINES: Mercedes in shock announcement as F1 champion RETURNS

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One such driver who found himself looking for opportunities elsewhere within motorsport was Kevin Magnussen, the Danish racer having been dropped by Haas after racing with the team across two separate stints since 2017.

The American outfit secured a brand new lineup for 2025 by signing Ollie Bearman and Esteban Ocon, with Magnussen's team-mate Nico Hulkenberg already set on leaving the team for Sauber ahead of their transition into Audi in 2026.

The 32-year-old now appears to have no intention of returning to F1, instead announcing his new role with BMW during the season finale in Abu Dhabi last month.

Kevin Magnussen was dropped by Haas F1 team for 2025

Haas replaced Kevin Magnussen with British racer Ollie Bearman

Magnussen makes BMW debut

With a quick turnaround between seasons, Magnussen has now returned to the track with his new drive, piloting the BMW M Hybrid V8 at Rolex 24 Daytona.

The event is the first of Magnussen's stints in IMSA, competing in three endurance rounds of the Sportscar Championship before beginning his first season with the German motorsport giant in WEC.

Magnussen shared his excitement at getting back behind the wheel, taking to Instagram to post his debut with BMW on track.

"Back on track! Feels great to get behind the wheel of our BMW M Hybrid V8 here at Daytona. It’s an amazing place – and we have an exciting week ahead of us."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kevin Magnussen (@kevinmagnussen)

Written by

Kerry Violet - F1 News Editor

Having graduated from the University of Sheffield with a 2:1 in Journalism in 2022, Kerry continued her pursuit of finding a full-time position in motorsport through work with the F1 Arcade in London, where she got to meet true fans of the sport and make a live grand prix watch party memorable for them. It was here she realised her background in journalism and love of motorsport could be combined, going on to volunteer with the female-led platform Empoword Journalism. Having completed stints as a screen editor and sports editor, Kerry landed her first F1-specific editorial role with GPFans and has thoroughly enjoyed continuing to work more closely with the sport ever since. The access GPFans offers Kerry has allowed her to interview big names such as Naomi Schiff and David Coulthard and given her experiences she could only have dreamt of as a young F1 fan which she hopes to build on.

View full biography

Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Mercedes Haas Audi Nico Hulkenberg