How Magnussen Got His Place Back in F1

It was a surprise because many people believed that the free spot would be taken by Pietro Fittipaldi, a reserve driver for the American team, who raced for them at two Grand Prix in 2020. Besides, Kevin Magnussen had been forced to exit Formula One because Haas was in significant need of money, so they wanted pay drivers.

And we know how common it is for drivers who sit out a season or two to never race in F1 again. I think it's super ironic that Kevin had to move out for Nikita and now the tables are turned. Karma is an evil woman sometimes.

Magnussen's return came 16 months from his supposed final Grand Prix and just a few days before he was due to race at the 12 Hours of Sebring with the Cadillac Chip Ganassi Racing. Haas had to move quickly to scope out his interest in a comeback, with team principal Guenther Steiner calling the Danish race driver about a week ago.

Kevin agreed, but things were not that easy. He had to sort out his contracts with Ganassi Racing and Peugeot (K-Mag was set to race for them at this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans) because neither of those deals had a clause that allowed Magnussen to leave for F1. However, Peugeot was nice enough not to stand in his way.

Even though he was very critical of Haas by saying he would not come back to race in the midfield, now he is back on the big scene. Maybe these new technical regulations changes for 2022 and a multi-year contract made him realize he still had a burning desire to race in Formula One.

"I was obviously very surprised but equally very excited to receive the call from Haas F1 Team," stated Magnussen. "I was looking in a different direction regarding my commitments for 2022 but the opportunity to return to compete in Formula 1, and with a team I know extremely well, was simply too appealing. I really have to say thank you to both Peugeot and Chip Ganassi Racing for releasing me promptly – both are great organizations."

Now let's talk about why this was a better choice than Fittipaldi and how impactful this could be for  his team mate, Mick Schumacher.

To start, you need to understand Kevin is only 29 years old, so basically, he should be in his prime now. He still has a youngster's agility, and now he has the experience and patience of a veteran driver. In 2019 and 2020 he showed his extraordinary abilities by squeezing every bit of performance from that poorly built Haas car.

"I'm delighted to welcome Kevin Magnussen back to Haas F1 Team," commented Guenther Steiner, Team Principal of Haas F1 Team. "When looking for a driver who could bring value to the team, not to mention a wealth of Formula 1 experience, Kevin was a straightforward decision for us. Kevin's immediate availability means we can tap into him as a resource for pre-season testing alongside both Mick Schumacher and Pietro Fittipaldi. Pietro's going to be first in this week with half a day's running at the test on Thursday – that's a great opportunity for him, with Mick and Kevin doing the rest ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix."

In addition, he knows the team, understands their processes, and knows all the people working there, even though they are the crew who also worked for Mazepin, and in the past used to work for Romain Grosjean.

Kevin can also be a good benchmark for Mick, who now has a teammate he can rely on to be a mentor but a fierce rival too. After he crushed Nikita last year, now we can really see how good Schumacher is.

In the past years, Haas didn't have good morale, and they lacked confidence. After this decision, it seems the spirits are changed and maybe the Haas team can turn their bad luck around.