Official: Kevin Magnussen new McLaren driver
The team based in Woking has confirmed the information that has been circulating in the media for a few days. Kevin Magnussen will race alongside Jenson Button next season.
After the announcement of Sergio Pérez’s departure from the team, the official confirmation of Kevin Magnussen as the new McLaren driver was only a matter of time. The British team confirmed what the English media had been reporting for a while: the Danish driver will indeed be Jenson Button’s teammate in 2014.
« I am absolutely delighted to make my debut in Formula 1 with McLaren. This team is simply the best. It was my dream to drive for McLaren since I was a kid and it’s no exaggeration to say that I’ve spent all my days working towards this goal; to become a McLaren driver, » says Kevin Magnussen.
The 2014 season will represent quite a challenge for the 21-year-old driver. The numerous technical changes will add an extra difficulty, but he is counting on the support of his teammate to find his footing in Formula 1. “I have the ideal teammate. He is very fast, but he is also experienced and very technically skilled. He is a world champion, which I hope to become one day, and I am determined to learn as much as possible from him.”
The joy is, of course, also evident from the management of the English team, as they see one of their protégés enter the pinnacle of motorsport through the front door. “We are delighted that Kevin will join Jenson as a McLaren driver for 2014. Their confirmation is an important step for us as we continue to strengthen for the 2014 season. Next year, we will witness the biggest technical changes in recent years, and every team will be pushed to its limits to adapt to this challenge. Kevin is very talented and determined, and we have high hopes for him. Every time he has gotten into the car, he has been very fast and methodical, and his feedback was excellent. Also, the way he won the Formula Renault 3.5 championship this season was truly incredible. He has not only shown his natural talent and speed but also his maturity and ability to manage a championship,” rejoiced Martin Whitmarsh.
Kevin Magnussen indeed won this championship by surpassing Stoffel Vandoorne, another driver from McLaren’s young driver program.
