Kevin Magnussen celebrates the individuality of WEC prototypes as he prepares to race for BMW in the LMDh category in 2025.
Kevin Magnussen will return to endurance racing after a season in the discipline in 2021. The former Haas F1 driver will race for BMW in LMDh, starting with IMSA at the 24 Hours of Daytona, followed by the WEC, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
“In 2021, I had a lot of fun,” said Magnussen about his first stint in endurance racing. “It’s just a way to enjoy yourself. It’s not that I don’t enjoy Formula 1, but it’s different.”
“F1 is very intense. In 2021, it was nice to get back to basics in a way and race for the fun of it. It kind of opened my eyes. You can certainly do this and look forward to having a bit more fun.”
Magnussen appreciates that each prototype retains its own identity despite the restrictive regulations in the LMDh category: “I think it’s a good thing because we’re witnessing an era in sports cars where each car has a clear identity.”
“As a fan of cars or race cars, it’s cool to see these race cars, and they’re very evenly matched. I think they’ll become even more so. There are fantastic manufacturers and extraordinary brands competing against each other. I think that’s pretty sexy.”
Despite an interest in IndyCar, Magnussen chose endurance racing to remain in Europe, and he’s uncertain about maintaining a connection with F1: “I spoke with some IndyCar teams. I think after all those years in Formula 1, IndyCar is extremely appealing from a driver’s perspective.”
“The competition there is fantastic, the circuits, the cars, everything is so cool. But I think moving to the United States with my family just wasn’t practical. So it’s a good thing to be racing next year; you know, I’m happy to be back in sports car racing.”
“You know, it’s kind of where I grew up, with my father racing sports cars for as long as I can remember. I’ve known the tracks and the big races there. In a way, it feels a bit like coming home.”
“I’m still talking with Ayao Komatsu about the possibility of doing something with the team next year. I don’t think I’ll attend many races, if any at all. I’ll be busy with BMW and other things.”
BMW hasn’t announced the full program yet, and Magnussen already has ideas: “Daytona will be the first race, and BMW will announce the rest of the program afterwards. I’ve spoken with Vincent Vosse, the owner of WRT, which runs the BMW team in WEC. I’ve known him since I was a kid. The connection has always been there. I’ve always known him.”
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Magnussen Joins BMW for LMDh Challenge in 2025 Magnussen Joins BMW for LMDh Challenge in 2025
