What comes next for Kevin Magnussen and Haas?

The latest domino has fallen in the F1 driver transfer market.

On Thursday, Haas confirmed that Kevin Magnussen will not return to racing for the team in 2025. In a statement released to the media, Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu praised the driver for being a “foundation” of the team during his tenure.

“I would like to thank Kevin for all he has given to the team on and off the track. He has been a cornerstone of our driver line-up over the years – no one has driven more races for us and together we have created some memorable highlights, not least his impressive fifth place finish at the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix, which saw Kevin return to the team for his second tenure,” Komatsu said. “He didn’t expect to be driving a Formula 1 car that weekend but he delivered a fantastic performance which was a great boost for the whole organisation, showcasing his talents behind the wheel once again.”

In a statement, Magnussen expressed his gratitude to team owner Gene Haas and the entire organization.

“I would like to thank everyone at the MoneyGram Haas F1 Team. I have been proud to have raced for such a great team these past few years and would like to thank them for their commitment to me, especially in bringing me back for 2022, when I thought, at least at that point, that my time in F1 was over,” Magnussen said. “I have enjoyed some great moments with this team – memories I will never forget. While I look forward to the next chapter in my racing career, I am fully focused on giving my all with the MoneyGram Haas F1 Team for the remainder of 2024.”

With both parties committed to ending it on a positive note, what does the future hold for Magnussen and Haas? And is their relationship really over?

Who will be driving with Oliver Bearman?

Prior to Thursday’s announcement, Haas had already confirmed one of its two drivers for the 2025 season, having announced earlier this month that youngster Oliver Bareman would take a seat at Haas next year on a “multi-year” contract.

Bareman currently competes in F2 with Prema Racing and is the reserve driver for both Ferrari and Haas. The young British driver showed his mettle at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix earlier this year, filling in for Carlos Sainz Jr., who was forced to withdraw due to appendectomy. After just one hour of practice in Jeddah, Bareman qualified in Q2 but narrowly missed out on a place in Q3.

He started the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in 11th place and finished seventh, ahead of Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton, to score six points on his debut. Barman currently sits in 14th place. F1 Drivers Championship Standings table.

With Haas handing one of the seats to a rookie, the other position is expected to go to a more experienced driver, and until Thursday’s announcement, Magnussen had seemed the leading candidate for the position given his years of experience in both F1 and with Haas.

With Magnussen set to leave Haas at the end of this season, are there any strong candidates for the role?

At the moment, Esteban Ocon seems to be the favourite. Reports in recent weeks have suggested that Ocon Likely to be Haas’ second driverAccording to additional reports, such an announcement was madeImminent.”

Ocon may seem an interesting choice for Haas, as he is one of the few drivers on the current grid with a Grand Prix win under his belt. This weekend will see Ocon return to the site of his only F1 victory, when he won the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2021. That win was Alpine’s first since the team rebranded from the Renault banner, and remains Ocon’s only F1 win.

However, if Ocon is not an option for the team, another veteran driver is Valtteri Bottas. Earlier this summer, Bottas was linked with a move to another team, such as Haas, but Sauber is starting to build up its own driver line-up. Before the Miami Grand Prix, Sauber announced that Nico Hulkenberg would join the team next year on a “multi-year” deal, ahead of becoming Audi’s works operation in 2026.

This does not necessarily mean that Bottas will leave Sauber – there is still another seat open at the team – but it does make a move more likely.

Bottas, with his years of experience and track record of race victories, could be the ideal candidate to race alongside Bearman next season.

What’s next for Magnussen?

Photo: Kim Ilman/Getty Images

The next question is, what happens next for Magnussen himself?

There are currently six vacant slots for next season, but Magnussen could potentially choose from just five. The six teams with seats currently open next year are Haas, RB F1 Team, Sauber, Williams, Mercedes and Alpine.

Haas is now out of the running in favour of Magnussen.

VCARB and Mercedes could also be ruled out. Both teams have strong driver options in their programs, with VCARB likely to retain Daniel Ricciardo for next season. Alongside Ricciardo at VCARB, the team could also promote Liam Lawson to the seat.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli is expected to be promoted next to George Russell at Mercedes, but Carlos Sainz Jr has become more of an option for the team in recent weeks if Mercedes decides to tread a little more carefully with the young Italian driver.

Magnussen’s options would then be Williams, Alpine and Sauber.

Williams currently has Logan Sargent in that position but although the American driver has made progress in recent weeks, outqualifying Sergio Pérez on a number of occasions, there are strong indications the team could be heading in a different direction. Williams has been rumoured to be linked with both Bottas and Sainz in recent weeks and could be the man to take Antonelli’s place if Mercedes decides to take its time with its younger drivers.

Alpine also has in-house candidates, including both Mick Sauber and Jack Doohan, both of whom have tested for the team recently at France’s Paul Ricard circuit, with Doohan also running on the A522 at Silverstone this week. The France-based team has also made a move for Sainz recently, indicating it has options at the moment.

Could Sauber be the landing spot for him? At the start of the year, there was speculation around the paddock that Audi’s ties with Carlos Sainz Snr, who competes for the brand in rally car racing, would see his son join the team next year.

However, that move is yet to happen and with Sauber signing Hulkenberg, could that mean he will be joined by his current team-mate next year?

The two drivers have worked well together this season, with Magnussen often playing his part perfectly to help Hulkenberg score points. He praised his teammates earlier this season..

“Obviously it’s not my fault, it’s not my decision, but Kevin has also been very consistent this year,” Hulkenberg said.

“There were a few moments during the session where very small things made a difference between him and me. Often on TV the results and achievements look big, but in person it’s really small things. Of course, I have access to a lot more data and can see exactly what happened on his side.

“So I think he’s doing a good job. I think he’s still a strong candidate for Haas or another team.”

It will be a very interesting storyline, with two current Haas drivers moving to Sauber next year.

That could make Sauber a likely option for Magnussen if he stays in F1, but the Danish driver may also have options outside of F1: he has previously driven in IndyCar, and drove for Arrow McLaren in place of the injured Felix Rosenqvist at the 2021 Road America Grand Prix.

For Magnussen, a move into endurance racing is also a promising option. His father, Jan Magnussen, was not only an F1 driver but also a well-known endurance racer. He won the 24 Hours of Le Mans four times and, although he stopped competing in the race at the end of the 2019 season, he competed in the North American endurance racing series IMSA until last season.

During his hiatus from F1, the younger Magnussen competed in IMSA in both 2021 and 2022. In 2021, he finished seventh in the series and won the Detroit Sports Car Classic with Cadillac Chip Ganassi Racing’s Ranger van der Zande, before starting the 2022 season with a sixth-place finish at the 24 Hours of Daytona.

Then Haas called about a seat for the year.

Speaking of Haas, could you potentially return to the team in some capacity next year?

Komatsu did not deny it.

In a statement from the team on Thursday, the Haas team principal not only spoke about the work remaining this year, but also hinted at the possibility of Magnussen contributing to the team in some way next season. “There are still many races to go this year and I am excited to see what Kevin can do as we strive together in the championship. Not only that, but given the special relationship Kevin has with the team, I hope we can find a way for us to continue working together in some capacity,” Komatsu said. “Hopefully we can decide on that in the near future, but his extensive experience in F1 and knowledge of our business operations will undoubtedly be valuable to our continued growth and development.”

Could the team give Magnussen some kind of role while allowing him to compete in another series as a driver? If a seat on his current grid (probably with Sauber) is not an option, helping Haas “in some capacity” while competing elsewhere could be Magnussen’s future.

But for now, his current job involves helping Haas in their battle with VCARB for sixth place in the F1 Constructors’ Championship this year.