We all saw it coming, and now it’s official. The Haas F1 team and Kevin Magnussen will part ways following the 2025 season. This was something that most F1 fans predicted ever since Alpine announced that they would be parting ways with Esteban Ocon.
Kevin Magnussen has been with Haas for a long time. He initially joined the team back in 2017. The team and he had their ups and downs, but eventually, Haas was thankful for his contribution when they decided to part ways after the 2020 season to make way for 2 rookie drivers.
When the rookie pairing didn’t work out for Haas, they decided to get rid of one of the rookies to bring back Kevin Magnussen. In his second stint with Haas, Magnussen started to find more success. In 2022, he achieved his and the team’s first-ever pole position in Brazil. No other driver for Haas has driven for more races than Magnussen. But now, the team has to move on.
Why is Haas parting ways with Kevin Magnussen?
This season, Haas has taken an upward trajectory. There has been no doubt that between Kevin and his teammate, Nico Hulkenberg, the latter has performed better for the team despite joining only in 2023. Ideally, Haas would have preferred to retain both their drivers for next season. However, Nico ruined the hopes for that scenario.
MoneyGram Haas F1 Team can confirm Kevin Magnussen will depart his race seat upon the conclusion of his current contract at the end of the 2024 FIA Formula 1 World Championship.
The team looks forward to working with Kevin for the remainder of the 2024 season in his racing… pic.twitter.com/Yr9jboT1Pb
— MoneyGram Haas F1 Team (@HaasF1Team) July 18, 2024
A few weeks back, Sauber announced that they had signed Nico Hulkenberg on a multi-year deal from next year. So to replace Hulkenberg, Haas is bringing in rookie, Oliver Bearman who proved his talents during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix earlier this year where he replaced Carlos Sainz in the Ferrari.
With Nico gone, Haas needs a strong driver to lead the team. Given that Magnussen’s pace is not at that level, and Oliver Bearman will still be a rookie, Haas will need to find another driver who can unlock the full potential of the car. For this reason, the team has turned towards Esteban Ocon.
Why Esteban Ocon?
Esteban Ocon has been in Formula 1 since 2016. Although he has not gotten along well with his teammates in the past, he has delivered some strong results over the years, including a race win during the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix.
The Haas F1 team has now approached a point where they need to bring in more talented drivers in their prime. In the past, the team has only signed drivers who didn’t have any other choice in F1 or rookies. With Esteban Ocon, the team is getting a driver in his prime and can help in developing the car for the future.
My @AlpineF1Team race winning car has a new home 💙 an extremely special day as we welcome the Hungarian GP A521 to the family garage! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/HoQKcN9G1F
— Esteban Ocon (@OconEsteban) July 16, 2024
The 2025 season’s driver lineup will play a huge part in the team’s future success. With the next major regulation changes in Formula 1 coming in 2026, they need a strong driver in their car to provide the right kind of feedback. Otherwise, the team will once again fall back to the bottom in the new pecking order.
Do you think Esteban Ocon will be the right option for the Haas F1 team? Post your thoughts in the comments section below.
Rohit Kumar 
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