Out of all of the drivers currently available in the market, there is one who stands out more than any other. Kevin Magnussen is, by far, the most talented and experienced, but still has no contract for the 2016 season. Could he be a talent that will never get a chance to reach his potential?
Magnussen has only really had one opportunity to show what a great driver he really was. He was very fortunate to be signed to the McLaren team in 2014, as they were able to provide him with a car capable of good lap times and a teammate with the experience to mentor the young Dane. This allowed him to have a great year and be the best rookie in the 2014 season. He was stunning at his debut at the Australian Grand Prix, scoring his first ever podium in his first ever race.
Despite his great season of racing, he was demoted to test driver for the 2015 Formula One season to make room for Fernando Alonso, who made a return to McLaren to partner with Jenson Button. He was let go by the team later in 2015, but not before having one last chance to show his talent to other teams in the season opening race in Australia when Alonso suffered an injury in the pre-season testing. However, this was taken away from him, as mechanical failures prevented him from even making it to the starting grid.
With most of the driver lineups confirmed for the upcoming season, it is unlikely that Magnussen will be able to claim a seat with a team. It will actually be unlikely that we will see him make a return to Formula One at all. Young drivers depend quite heavily on financial backing that will give racing teams the incentive to sign them to a contract. Unfortunately, Magnussen is talented and experienced, but lacks the backing and it is unlikely that he will ever get the backing that he requires.
Denmark does not have the interest in Formula One that other European countries do. The country has only hosted two Grand Prix events back in the 1960s and they have only given birth to five Danish drivers. Without some more support from Denmark, it is likely that Kevin Magnussen will be one of those driving talents that excel at the racing, but have failed at the business side of Formula One.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer or company. Assumptions made in any analysis contained within this article are not reflective of the position of any entity other than the author.
