Kevin Magnussen says IndyCar Series was “the one that got away” as former F1 star rues missed opportunity

Former F1 driver Kevin Magnussen has ruled out the possibility of competing in the NTT IndyCar Series or the Indianapolis 500. Magnussen was dropped from Haas F1 ahead of the 2025 campaign.

It was for the third time in his career that the Danish racing star found himself without a ride in Formula 1. The 32-year-old, who had been with Haas F1 since 2017, was first dropped from the team at the end of the 2020 campaign in a complete overhaul.

After two seasons of competing in the IMSA SportsCar Championship, Kevin Magnussen returned to Formula 1 in 2022, again with Haas. History repeated itself, as three years later, Haas overhauled its driver lineup once again after a lackluster campaign, and the Dane was yet again without a ride.

Now set to compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship with BMW, Magnussen recently delved into the possibility of driving in IndyCar. Speaking to Jenna Fryer of The Associated Press, he reflected on his time in motorsport and the missed opportunities in IndyCar.

"(It was) the series that got away from me,” he said (via Fryer's X handle).

Magnussen also dismissed the idea of participating in the Indianapolis 500, saying it would be worth considering only with top teams like Chip Ganassi Racing, McLaren, or Team Penske.

Kevin Magnussen has competed in one IndyCar race in his career, which was with Arrow McLaren back in 2021. Serving as a one-race replacement for the injured Felix Rosenqvist in the Road America race, Magnussen led a few laps before encountering an engine failure. The Dane, who had qualified 21st, eventually retired from the race.

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Kevin Magnussen reflects on sports car opportunity, compares it to Formula 1

With F1 and IndyCar now behind him, Kevin Magnussen is set to compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) as a factory driver for BMW M. His debut weekend with the BMW M Team RLL Hybrid V8 lineup at the Rolex 24 at Daytona will mark a fresh start in his motorsport career.

For Magnussen, sports car racing holds a special place in his heart as he grew up watching his father Jan Magnussen compete in endurance racing. He said (via The Associated Press):

"I came here so much as a kid and grew up at these races in a way and always knew I wanted to be a part of that. As a young boy you look up to your dad and want to do what he is doing. I have an extra passion for sports car racing because I grew up with it."

Magnussen also highlighted the stark difference in atmosphere between Formula 1 and sports car racing, saying:

"Sports car racing is more pure. I think people love what they do more in sports cars than they do in Formula 1 because it’s so competitive (in F1) it can be kind of cold in a way. I arrived here and see everyone smiling and looking forward to the race and everything. It’s a different vibe, different environment."

This week's Rolex 24 will be Kevin Magnussen’s third outing in the endurance race. He previously competed with Chip Ganassi Racing in 2021 and 2022.