Kevin Magnussen

Profile Overview

Kevin Jan Magnussen (Danish pronunciation: [ˈkʰɛ.ven ˈjan ˈmaw.nus.n]; born 5 October 1992), also known simply as K-Mag, is a Danish racing driver who competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship for WRT as a factory driver for BMW, and part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 91 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Trackhouse Racing. Magnussen competed in Formula One from 2014 to 2020 and 2022 to 2024.
Born and raised in Roskilde, Magnussen is the son of four-time 24 Hours of Le Mans class-winner and former Formula One driver Jan Magnussen. Graduating from karting to junior formulae in 2008, Magnussen won his first championship at the 2008 Danish Formula Ford Championship. He then finished as runner-up to António Félix da Costa at the Formula Renault NEC in 2009, and to Felipe Nasr at the British Formula 3 International Series in 2011. Progressing to Formula Renault 3.5 in 2012, Magnussen won the championship the following season with DAMS.
A member of the McLaren Young Driver Programme since 2010, Magnussen signed with McLaren in 2014 to partner Jenson Button. He finished second on his Formula One debut at the Australian Grand Prix, scoring his maiden podium finish and becoming the highest-finishing debutant since Jacques Villeneuve in 1996. Replaced by Fernando Alonso for 2015, Magnussen continued at McLaren as a reserve driver, substituting for Alonso at the season-opener. Magnussen completed a stint at Renault in 2016, before competing with Haas from 2017 until the conclusion of the 2020 season, finishing a career-best ninth in the 2018 World Drivers' Championship. In 2021, Magnussen moved to the IMSA SportsCar Championship with Cadillac, winning the Detroit Classic; he also contested one round of the IndyCar Series with Arrow McLaren, as well as the 24 Hours of Le Mans with High Class.
Magnussen returned to Haas in 2022 to replace Nikita Mazepin, achieving his maiden pole position at the São Paulo Grand Prix. He retained his seat in 2023 and 2024, becoming the first driver since former teammate Romain Grosjean in 2012 to receive a race ban after the latter Italian Grand Prix, before departing at the end of the season. Magnussen achieved one pole position, three fastest laps and one podium finish in Formula One. He holds the Formula One record for the most career starts without leading a lap (185). Magnussen returned to sportscar racing in 2025, joining BMW as a factory driver.