Late heartbreak denies Kevin Magnussen BMW podium debut in Daytona 24 Hours
Car damage in latter stages took #24 BMW out of podium fight
Kevin Magnussen was denied a podium on his BMW debut at the 2025 Daytona 24 Hours when the #24 car suffered damage late on in a nail-biting conclusion to the enduro.
The Team RLL-run M Hybrid V8 LMDh car was put on pole for the Daytona 24 by Dries Vanthoor in qualifying, with the #24 machine regularly in the fight for the marque’s first victory at the event since 1976.
But a loose nosecone on the car was exacerbated by contact in the final hour of competition after Vanthoor made slight contact with the rear of the #6 Porsche Penske Motorsport entrant, driven by Matt Campbell at the time, following a green flag restart.
The damage was enough to drop the #24 car off the podium battle, with Vanthoor, Magnussen, Phillip Eng and Raffaele Marciello ending up fourth.
“I for sure am very gutted with this result,” Vanthoor said.
“We showed a great pace and that the car is capable of doing it. Obviously finishing in P4 in a 24-hour race is not the end of the world, but at the end of the day it is very sad to fight for 22 hours and not come home with a podium, which we for sure deserved.
“I feel sorry for the guys, who have been working very hard and also to my team-mates.
“I would have loved to gift them with something, but most important is that we showed that we were strong and able to fight.
“We will make sure to come back and we will win this race.”
Magnussen had put on a strong push at the 20-hour mark of the race to help put the #24 BMW into the battle for victory with the factory Porsches.
The 63rd edition of the Daytona 24 Hours was ultimately won by the #7 Porsche Penske Motorsport entry of ex-F1 driver Felipe Nasr, Nick Tandy and Laurens Vanthoor.
The car fended off a late charge from the Meyer Shank Racing #60 Acura, which powered ahead of the #6 PPM car to finish second.
Despite the disappointing result, BMW proved to be Porsche’s closest challenger throughout the Daytona 24.
Magnussen will be back in action in the M Hybrid V8 at the end of February for the opening round of the World Endurance Championship in Qatar, as he joins WRT’s line-up.
