Magnussen leaves McLaren and targets Haas, Lotus, or Manor

Kevin Magnussen’s Formula 1 career began in an ideal manner with a second place at the 2014 Australian Grand Prix. Unfortunately, an uncompetitive McLaren would dampen hopes of another podium for the former Formula Renault 3.5 champion. Worse, the arrival of Fernando Alonso in 2015 and the confirmation of Jenson Button sidelined the driver of car No. 23.

Now a reserve driver for McLaren, Kevin Magnussen hoped, according to Ron Dennis’s promise, to be appointed as a regular driver in 2016. Alas! The recent contract extension of Jenson Button dashed such hopes. The Danish driver’s reserve status was not even guaranteed anymore due to the breakthrough of Stoffel Vandoorne, also a member of McLaren’s young driver program and a sensational GP2 champion this season.

Kevin Magnussen has acknowledged his complete lack of prospects at McLaren and has decided to leave the Woking team. Eric Boullier will not oppose such a departure.

According to Autosport, the young driver is now aiming for a seat at Haas. However, Esteban Gutierrez is the favorite to be Romain Grosjean’s teammate in 2016 and could even be confirmed in the coming days. Faced with this new setback, Kevin Magnussen would like to bounce back with Lotus or Manor, but the competition is once again stiff.

According to *Autosport*, the Dane is nonetheless on Lotus’s short-list, along with Jolyon Palmer, the team’s reserve driver, and Frenchman Jean-Éric Vergne. At Manor, Pascal Werhlein and the current drivers, Will Stevens and Alexander Rossi, are also vying for the same seat as the Dane.

Faced with a tougher battle for positions than ever for young drivers, Kevin Magnussen can at least find relief in the recommendations of the veteran on the grid, Jenson Button, who called his teammate “the best driver available” for a Formula 1 seat.