“It Was Really Tough” – Kevin Magnussen Still Bitter Over His McLaren F1 Stint

Back in 2014, McLaren roped in Danish rookie Kevin Magnussen alongside Jenson Button. In the very first race itself, the two drivers grabbed a podium, before the team’s decline in form began. Despite lasting just one season at the Woking outfit, Magnussen has no hard feeling and is “completely open” to a potential return to the side.

In 2020, the Dane is contracted to the Haas F1 team. However, team owner Gene Haas has admitted that the American team’s chances of staying in F1 are waning. The 27-year old revealed to BT newspaper that his chances of moving to a top three team are low. However, he believes that he has a chance in teams like McLaren and Renault, and he is familiar with both teams.

McLaren handed Magnussen his official F1 debut in 2014, but lost the drive in 2015. A year later, he partnered Nico Hulkenberg at Renault before moving to Haas in 2017.

Speaking about a potential return, Magnussen said, “My history with those two teams doesn’t scare me. I am completely open to all possibilities. Although I had some tough times with Renault and McLaren, I have great respect for both of them. I was put on the bench at McLaren and it was really tough, but it’s the team that gave me my chance in Formula 1, and I’m still very grateful for that.”

What else did Kevin Magnussen say?

The Haas F1 driver also spoke about his brief Renault stint and maintained that he still has massive respect for the French team. He revealed that Renault offered him a lifeline when he almost left. For that reason, he is eternally grateful for them keeping the faith in him.

He also assured that though he is no longer with McLaren or Renault, he is still on good terms with the two teams. The 27-year old is also confident that they reciprocate his sentiments as well. Kevin also admitted that the leadership changes in both teams is also a factor. Finally, he revealed that if Haas does bail out, Alfa Romeo could be another option in the future.

“Fred Vasseur was the boss when I drove at Renault when the atmosphere was quite tense. Today we meet with high fives everywhere,” he said.