Former F1 driver Kevin Magnussen to make endurance race debut in Doha
Motorsport fans may be more accustomed to seeing Danish racing driver Kevin Magnussen behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car.
But after an announcement made ahead of the recent F1 season finale, the 32-year-old has confirmed he will be moving to BMW ready to take on the FIA World Endurance Championship 2025.
The switch from open-wheel to sportscar racing ends Magnussen’s illustrious decade-long F1 career, which has seen him drive for a raft of premier teams including McLaren, Renault, and Haas, taking part in a whopping 185 Formula 1 races between 2014 and 2024.
He will make his debut in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) 2025 season opener, the ‘Qatar 1812 km’ — aptly named after the country’s National Day — at Lusail International Circuit (LIC), taking place from February 26 to 28.
WEC 2025: Global Racing Evolution
The World Endurance Championship enters its 13th season stronger than ever, featuring Hypercar and LMGT3 categories. With more than 14 manufacturers competing across eight rounds in Qatar, Italy, Belgium, France, Brazil, USA, Japan, and Bahrain, WEC continues its reign as elite sportscar racing at its finest.
As the son of racing icon Jan Magnussen, who drove in the American Le Mans Series for Panoz in 1999-2000 and was a longtime factory driver for Corvette Racing, Danish-born Kevin is no stranger to the race track.
Graduating from karting in 2008, he won his first championship in the same year at the Danish Formula Ford Championship and became a member of the McLaren Young Driver Programme before signing with McLaren in 2014 to partner Jenson Button.
Finishing second on his Formula 1 debut at the Australian Grand Prix and scoring his maiden podium, he became the highest-finishing debutant since Jacques Villeneuve in 1996.
Replaced by Fernando Alonso for the 2015 season, Magnussen continued at McLaren as a reserve driver, substituting for Alonso at the season opener.
After a year out of F1, he returned to Haas in 2022 to replace Nikita Mazepin, scoring his first pole position at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. Magnussen left Haas at the end of 2024, having achieved one pole position, three fastest laps, and one podium.
Magnussen’s talents are not just confined to Formula 1, having competed in the IMSA SportsCar Championship from 2021 to 2022 for Cadillac Chip Ganassi Racing, one round of the IndyCar Series in 2021 for Arrow McLaren, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2021 behind the wheel of an LMP2 prototype.
Speaking ahead of his final Formula 1 race in Abu Dhabi, Magnussen said: “There’s some big races outside of Formula 1 that I’ve always been a fan of. I grew up in sportscar racing with my dad, going to these races and dreaming about these awesome events.”
On joining BMW for WEC, he added: “I’m proud to represent such an iconic motorsport brand as BMW. After ten years in Formula 1, I’m embarking on a new chapter, and I look forward to taking on this challenge in the most advanced sports cars in endurance racing history.”
One thing’s for sure: all eyes will be on the Great Dane as he gets behind the wheel of his M Hybrid V8 next spring.
The organizers of Qatar 1812 KM - FIA World Endurance Championship 2025 are encouraging fans to secure their tickets early if they want to enjoy a spectacular display of driving prowess from a very iconic name in motorsport.
Tickets for the Qatar 1812 KM - FIA World Endurance Championship 2025 can be purchased here.
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