Racing

Kevin Magnussen: “The goal is to win Le Mans with my dad”

Posted on by Charlotte

At this weekend’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, Round 4 of the FIA WEC, High-Class Racing will field an all-star lineup, with Jan and Kevin Magnussen, father and son, set to drive for the Danish team.

Jan and Kevin will be joined by Anders Fjordbach, a fellow Danish driver, in the No. 49 LMP2 Oreca 07 Gibson.

The No. 20 Oreca, driven by Dennis Andersen, Ricky Taylor, and Marco Srensen, is the team’s second car. The No. 20 car is the only one from High-Class Racing that can earn WEC World Championship points.

It will be Jan’s 23rd Le Mans, with the endurance racing expert having won four category victories over the years, but it will be Kevin’s first time at the legendary 24-hour race, which he is all too familiar with, ve witnessed his father race there numerous times during his childhood.

“Of course the goal is to win but we know it’s going to be extremely competitive,” explained 28-year-old Kevin.  “LMP2 has some teams which are really fast and have great driver line ups but we ought to go to win or there’s no point.

“It’ll be great fun to race with my Dad but we’re there to win! We were testing the High-Class car recently which went really well and it was very interesting to hear everyone’s thoughts on the car and their feedback.

“I’m feeling excited!” added Kevin who quit Formula 1 at the end of last season, after six years in the top flight with McLaren Renault and Haas.

Magnussen senior, who seemed destined for a successful F1 career at the time he broke through, never got off the ground with McLaren or Stewart after that. He has subsequently become a legend of endurance racing, having won four Le Mans races with Corvette Racing.

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The fact that the two are teaming up is the stuff that race drivers fantasize about: a father and son competing in the same team at the world’s most prestigious sportscar race.

Jan explained: “We have always been a racing family, have talked about racing and been to each other’s races but, until now, there hasn’t been an opportunity to race together and it’s going to be really exciting.

“We had a test in Spain a little while back and, together with our teammate Anders [Fjordbach], everyone’s feedback on the car was very similar. I think my experience in GTs gives me the edge on mechanical feedback while Kevin’s F1 years gives him the edge on aerodynamic feedback.

“We can’t wait to put it all into practice,” added 48-year-old Magnussen senior.

The 89th running of the always legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans will take place from August 21-22 in the heart of the Sarthe beside the same-named river.

The French father-and-son team of Louis and Jean-Louis Rosier, driving a privately entered Talbot-Lago, won the 1950 24 Hours of Le Mans.

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Charlotte