Kevin Magnussen shares shocking details of almost joining the Red Bull family

In a major revelation, Kevin Magnussen has said that he had the chance to be a part of Red Bull Racing's driver lineup in 2018 when Daniel Ricciardo parted ways with the team. However, the talks didn't advance, and the Danish driver eventually rejected the offer to join its sister team, Torro Rosso (now known as Visa Cash App Racing Bulls).

The 32-year-old driver ended his partnership with the Haas F1 team after the conclusion of the 2024 season. After much contemplation, the American outfit signed rookie Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon for next year.

As Magnussen leaves the world of F1, he recalled an interesting tale from the past. Speaking to Motorsport-Total, the Danish driver claimed that he could have been a part of the RB team years ago.

He explained that when Daniel Ricciardo left RB in 2018, his manager had a conversation with team principal Christian Horner. However, with no seat available, he was offered the chance to drive for Toro Rosso (VCARB). While Magnussen rejected the offer, he regrets his decision in hindsight (via GP Blog):

"I said, 'No, no, we don't'. Which I probably should have done. It was Gasly who got the seat [at Red Bull]. Albon was promoted from Formula 2 to Toro Rosso. Then Gasly didn't do well and Albon was transferred! So the guy who got that Toro Rosso seat ended up at Red Bull," Kevin said.

Meanwhile, Kevin Magnussen has signed with BMW M Motorsport for the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship. However, his hopes for a return to F1 still remain firm.

On the other hand, Red Bull has also made a change to its driver lineup for the upcoming season. Sergio Perez has been dropped from the lineup with New Zealand's Liam Lawson getting a promotion after he drove six races for Racing Bulls in 2024.

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Red Bull promotes rookie driver for Racing Bulls seat

Isack Hadjar at Formula 1 Testing in Abu Dhabi (Image Source: Getty)

Meanwhile, Liam Lawson's Red Bull promotion left a seat vacant at sister team Visa Cash App Racing Bulls. To fill the void, Horner and co. have promoted 20-year-old Isack Hadjar. He finished P2 in the 2024 F2 championship and has been a part of the team's junior program for many years.

Hadjar will pair up with Yuki Tsunoda, the experienced Japanese driver who has been driving for RB since 2021. Lawson, whose experience in F1 is limited to 11 races, was given the nod over Tsunoda.

While the decision sparked a debate amongst fans, Christian Horner argued that Lawson's confidence, pace, and talent made a strong case. Hence, they made the hard decision to snub Tsunoda.