Kevin Magnussen reveals ‘life-saving’ moment with his future BMW boss
“I’ve known him since I was a little kid. He once saved my life…”
Haas Formula 1 driver Kevin Magnussen says his future WRT BMW sportscar boss Vincent Vosse once “saved my life” when he was a child.
On Thursday morning ahead of this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix finale, BMW announced it had signed Magnussen to its factory LMDh line-up in sportscar racing for 2025.
Magnussen is no stranger to sportscar racing, with his father Jan a multiple Le Mans 24 Hours class winner, while the outgoing Haas driver contested the 2021 IMSA SportsCar Championship.
As such, Magnussen told the media - including Crash.net on Thursday in Abu Dhabi - that his move to sportscar racing is “like going home”.
“So, it's good to be racing next year,” he said.
“[I’m] happy to be going back to sportscar racing. You know, it kind of feels like where I grew up, my dad having been in sportscar racing pretty much as long as I can remember.
“I've been around the tracks and around the big races there. In some way, it kind of feels like going home.”
Magnussen says he has been close with WRT boss Vosse - whose team runs BMW’s factory programme in IMSA and the World Endurance Championship - his whole life, which is how discussions over 2025 came about.
And the Dane also revealed that Vosse once saved his life when he was a child.
“I have been talking to Vincent Vosse who's the team owner at WRT, which is the team that runs the BMW WEC team,” he added.
“I've known him since I was a little kid. He once saved my life when I was two years old in the swimming pool at his house, because I jumped in the pool, I couldn't swim.
“So he was in a suit, dressed up for some gala thing that he was going to and he jumped in the pool.
“So, it ruined his day. But hopefully I can make up for that now. So the contact has kind of always been there. I've known him always.”
Magnussen’s full programme with BMW is yet to be announced, but he has confirmed he will make his racing debut with the marque in January’s IMSA season-opener at the Daytona 24 Hours.
IndyCar was an option, while F1 reserve role didn’t suit
Magnussen hadn’t ruled out a testing role in F1 earlier this year when Haas announced he was being moved aside as the squad signed Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman for 2025.
The Dane says he is still in discussions with Haas team boss Ayao Komatsu about some kind of role with the team next year, but had no desire of being a reserve driver.
“Still talking to Ayao about potentially doing something with the team next year,” he noted.
“I don't think I'm gonna go to that many races, if any. Gonna be busy with BMW and other things.
“I was never going to be a reserve driver. I spoke to Ayao and we agree, of course, you know, he has my number so he can always call me, but I'm not going to be a reserve driver as such, sitting around at every race; waiting for someone to break his leg is not what I want to do.
“I don't need to do that. So it's good to be racing. I've always had a passion for all sorts of motorsport races and with the BMW deal that allows them to go and explore and try and win some of these big classic endurance races.”
Magnussen also revealed he explored options in IndyCar for 2025, but wasn’t keen on moving his family to the United States.
He previously contested one race in the series in 2021 with Arrow McLaren SP, finishing 24th in the Grand Prix of Road America.
“I've talked to teams in IndyCar,” he added.
“I think after this many years in Formula 1, I think IndyCar is hugely attractive from a driver's perspective.
“The competition over there is fantastic, the tracks, the cars, everything about it is so cool. But I think moving to the US with my family, it just wasn't practical.”
