Few would have expected Kevin Magnussen’s contract would be in doubt when 2023 began, but the Dane finds himself in a position where – at least for now – his future is a topic of uncertainty in F1 news headlines.
After a generally impressive return with Haas last season, albeit one that failed to maintain the magical P5 from Bahrain, the 30-year-old is struggling to match the performances of his teammate.
Nico Hulkenberg has secured most the team’s points this year, also enjoying a superior qualifying record compared to Magnussen. Considering his significant absence from the grid, the German driver has been something of a revelation.
It would be unfair to overlook the impressive drives that the #20 put together in Miami and Saudi Arabia, especially given that Haas lacks the pace to fight for points regularly.
With that said, Guenther Steiner’s statements about offering the Dane an extension are largely open to interpretation.
Kevin Magnussen, Haas VF-23
Although there is no clear alternative to Magnussen in the market, the Haas team principal was cautious about committing to a new contract for his more established driver.
Securing a new deal for Hulkenberg is clearly the priority, so it remains to be seen how the situation evolves for the other side of the garage.
Speaking to the media in Hungary, K-Mag admitted to being relatively in the dark about his future:
“We’ll see when it happens and how that pans out.
“I think at the moment, there’s not any news to bring. Eventually, we’ll come round to it.
“I don’t really know what’s going on, I feel like the team is pretty happy. But you never know with these things, and I’ll take it one day at a time.”
To be clear, there are no significant indications that Magnussen’s future is under immediate threat. The situation is better described as uncomfortable than terminal.
Still, in an driver market that is often volatile, the F1 podium finisher will work to have a more preferrable position in negotiations and silence some of the more sceptical quotes going around in F1 news circles.
Author: Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
