F1 News: Kevin Magnussen Reveals Missed Red Bull Opportunity - ‘Probably Should Have’

Saajan Jogia | 3 Hours Ago

Nov 23, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Moneygram Haas F1 Team driver Kevin Magnussen of Denmark (20) leaves the Las Vegas Grand Prix drivers parade at the Las Vegas Circuit. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images / Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

Haas driver Kevin Magnussen disclosed that he had declined interest from Red Bull team principal Christian Horner in 2019, a move that could have potentially placed him within the Red Bull team today. Instead, Magnussen chose to remain with Haas, a decision that ultimately defined the trajectory of his career. Now set to leave Formula 1 at the end of this season due to limited opportunities, Magnussen will transition to BMW as a works driver in 2025. He will compete in races with the BMW M Hybrid V8, participating in either the World Endurance Championship or the IMSA SportsCar Championship.

After Daniel Ricciardo announced his Red Bull exit in 2018 for the following year for a deal with Renault, Magnussen pitched himself to Red Bull. However, Horner got back with an offer for its junior F1 team, Toro Rosso (now VCARB), where drivers are assessed for their competitiveness before they are promoted to Red Bull. Magnussen, who refused the offer back then, now admits that he should have accepted it since it would have eventually led him to drive for Red Bull. Speaking to Autosport, the Dane said:

“In 2018, we had a really good car in the first half of the year. Charles had just arrived in F1 with Sauber. And the start of his first season wasn’t great. And mine was really good! And then suddenly Ferrari was reaching out.

“Suddenly I was driving in their simulator, not for Haas, but for Ferrari. They were sniffing around. And I thought, okay… I was already getting excited about where this was going. But then Charles started to really kill it! And I heard nothing.

“I don’t know how close it got. But I think if Charles had not started to perform, if he had had a sh*tty season all year long, I think I would have been one of the drivers they would have looked at. Sometimes you feel like you are getting close, but still not that close. That’s the way it goes.

“After that season, Daniel left Red Bull, and I remember my management speaking to Christian Horner, because of course everyone was talking about the Red Bull seat.

“And Christian said, ‘Look, there’s nothing at Red Bull, but we can talk about Toro Rosso’. And I said, ‘No, no, let’s not do that,’ which I probably should have done.

“It was [Pierre] Gasly who took that [Red Bull] seat. [Alex] Albon was promoted from F2 to Toro Rosso, and then Gasly didn’t do a good job – and Albon came in! So, you know, the guy who got that Toro Rosso seat ended up at Red Bull.”