Pre Race
While Nico Hulkenberg is doing Formula 1 with Sauber in Australia, Kevin Magnussen will be racing his BMW M V8 prototype in the 12 Hours of Sebring in Florida this weekend. And it’s going exceptionally well for the Danish racing ace, who will start the American endurance classic from pole position after Friday’s brilliant qualifying performance by teammate Dries Vanthoor.
It’s the second pole position this year for the American-German squad, and the team appears to be in excellent shape for Saturday’s big race.
“Sebring is a fantastic event that I’m really looking forward to. The track is relentless with its rough and uneven mix of asphalt, concrete, and cement, which places great demands on the cars and makes the race a true old-school endurance event. The strategy is quite simple. In short, it’s about getting through the hours without crashes, mistakes, or problems before the battle explodes at the end,“ says Kevin Magnussen.
“Dries did a fantastic job again, repeating our pole position from Daytona and putting us in the best starting position for tomorrow. I’m really looking forward to get this thing started.”
Three things you should know:
- With its rough and uneven combination of tarmac, concrete, and cement, Sebring International Raceway is the toughest track on the calendar. The circuit is built on the remains of an old military training airbase from World War II.
- It’s Kevin’s second time competing in the American classic. In 2021, the Dane raced for Cadillac and was leading the race when a pit lane issue forced his team out of contention.
- Kevin is far from the first Magnussen at Sebring. His father, Jan Magnussen, has won four class victories in the 12-hour race – all with the famous Corvette Racing team.
The 12 Hours of Sebring goes green on Saturday, March 15, at 10:10 AM local time (GMT-4). Want to follow the action? Visit www.imsa.tv for broadcast information, live timing, and more.
Race Day
“That’s so disappointing”
Despite a strong car and good pace, Kevin Magnussen and his teammates from the BMW M Motorsport factory team were unable to convert their pole position into a win at this weekend’s 12-hour race at Sebring International Raceway. The Danish racing driver and Admin By Request ambassador was leading the GTP field when he was taken out of the race in the pit lane due to an unsafe release by a competitor.
The collision – which happened a little more than three hours before the checkered flag – caused so much damage to the BMW M V8 Hybrid race car that Magnussen had to drive directly to the garage for a major repair. And that was the end of the race for the Magnussen-Vanthoor-Eng crew.
“That’s so disappointing. Once again, we had a great car with strong pace, and even though we had to fight hard to keep up – especially with Porsche – we were in the battle for top positions. That’s why it’s incredibly frustrating that everything was ruined by a simple incident in the pit lane. It wasn’t our fault, but that’s little consolation. The most important thing is that the car once again proved to be strong and stable, and that we were competitive. Huge thanks to the entire team for their effort. Our luck will eventually turn,” said Kevin Magnussen.
Tough luck, Kevin! We’ll be cheering for you guys when you’re back in the car again for the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship at Imola next month.
📸 BMW M Motorsport
