Magnussen: I will have more great opportunities in F1
Kevin Magnussen was not retained by McLaren-Honda for 2015. Despite losing his position as a main driver, the Danish driver believes that his F1 career is far from over.
The suspense ended at McLaren yesterday with the announcement of the driver duo for 2015: Alonso alongside Button, Kevin Magnussen will not be a main driver for the 2015 season with the British team. The team, formerly powered by Mercedes, has retained Jenson Button who will be partnered with Fernando Alonso.
Not retained as a full-time driver for 2015, Kevin Magnussen believes that great opportunities will arise for him in the coming seasons, despite his new role as a reserve driver.
« Of course, I am disappointed not to be a Honda race driver – I want to race; I am, of course, disappointed. But I am still in a great team and I will still have great opportunities in my F1 career and beyond, and I have plenty of time ahead of me, so I am very positive, » says Kevin Magnussen, quoted by GPUpdate.
The Dane is delighted with the new partnership between McLaren and Honda: « This new partnership is exciting and, even if it’s as a third driver, it’s still a big challenge and a great opportunity. I see a lot of possibilities, even though I’ve taken a step back. »
His best performance of the season was his second-place finish in the inaugural event in Australia (after Daniel Ricciardo’s disqualification). In his first season, he finished 11th in the World Drivers’ Championship, a ranking that suggests a promising future in F1.
