Magnussen hopes for F1 continuation amid Sainz's contract uncertainty
BUDAPEST, Hungary — Kevin Magnussen has desire to remain in Formula One beyond the 2024 season, but his immediate career plans are hindered by Carlos Sainz's unresolved contract situation.
Haas announced on Thursday that Magnussen, their most experienced driver, will be leaving the team at the end of the season. The American outfit has already signed Oliver Bearman and is reportedly set to add outgoing Alpine driver Esteban Ocon to its roster—likely before next week's Belgian Grand Prix.
"I hope I can stay in Formula One," Magnussen stated, confirming ongoing discussions with multiple teams. "I think there's some interesting seats available. I think all the teams by now in Formula One are interesting. The whole bunch. ... You could look at any team and say they might be a top-five team next year. Everyone's so tightly together. It feels like there's still interesting opportunities."
While Alpine, Williams, and Sauber have available seats, they are awaiting Sainz's decision before making any commitments. Sainz has been evaluating his options since Ferrari announced it had signed Lewis Hamilton for the next season.
According to reports, Sainz might be delaying his decision to explore potential opportunities with either Red Bull or Mercedes.
Magnussen had previously characterized Sainz as "the cork in the bottle" regarding other drivers' decisions.
"He's the big name available right now. All the teams that have available seats are trying to secure him," Magnussen noted. "I think eventually some of the teams will become impatient. Or might come, I can't say for sure. But he can't keep holding it up. But I'm sure he won't.
"He's going to make the decision that is best for him. He's rightly so considering very carefully where he's going. Not that I've talked to him about it, but I can imagine that he is. That's the situation. When that lands, then all the rest will pretty quickly sort itself out."
When asked if he found the situation frustrating, Magnussen admitted: "In a way, yes, but it's natural. You have a race-winning Ferrari driver suddenly available. And actually available only to the bottom teams. So they're obviously seeing a big opportunity. That makes sense to me."
Magnussen is accustomed to the uncertainties of an F1 career. After an initial season with McLaren, he was relegated to the role of reserve driver. Subsequent stints with Renault and Haas were followed by a year off in 2021, before he made a dramatic return in 2022.
Despite prioritizing F1, Magnussen acknowledged he is more prepared for life outside the sport this time around.
"There is a lot [outside F1]. In 2021, I was out of F1, but I was racing in IMSA [sports car racing]," he said. "It's actually quite a busy schedule. You're going to America 11 or 12 times during the year. It wasn't a quiet year, but it was at least a very different year.
"You have to remember my whole life since I was a little kid was about getting to Formula One. Then I've had 10 years in the sport. It was interesting and exciting to see a different side of life in 2021. It wasn't frightening. It was actually very positive and fun.
"I think that changed my mindset in terms of ... I had a lot of fear before that of losing in Formula One because I didn't know what was on the outside. That showed me that hold on to Formula One as long as you can, but don't fear the outside. The afterlife [of F1] is going to be good."
