The Haas Formula 1 team announced Wednesday afternoon (9) that the Danish driver Kevin Magnussen will replace Russian Nikita Mazepin in the 2022 season that is about to begin.
Magnussen will race alongside the German Mick Schumacher, while the Brazilian Pietro Fittipaldi will remain in the position of reserve driver of the North American team. This is a return for Magnussen, who had previously driven a Haas single-seater in F1 between 2017 and 2020.
“I was looking in a different direction in terms of commitments for 2022, but the opportunity to get back to racing in Formula 1, and with a team I know very well, was just too attractive.” Magnussen said after the announcement.
Kevin Magnussen returns to Hass after the team got rid of Uralkali, company of Mazepin’s father
Haas last week broke off relations with 23-year-old Mazepin and sponsor Uralkali following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Russian company Uralkali, by the way, is owned by Nikita Mazepin’s father. A severe blow in the sponge on sponsor principal and driver to align with the sanctions that have also hit Russian athletes as well as the many companies operating in the West. Furthermore, as is well known, the Russian GP that was to be held in September at the Sochi circuit has also been canceled.
Kevin Magnussen’s first contact with the Haas VF-22 car will be between 10 and 12 March in the official pre-season tests which will be held at the Bahrain International Circuit.
It also emerged that the contract stipulated between Haas and Magnussen is multi-year, so not only will it be a “patch” waiting to sign another driver, but, apparently the Dane will stay for several seasons. Furthermore, not only will his adaptation to the single-seater be accelerated, but his exit with Peugeot Sport and Chip Ganassi Racing, the teams he had a contract with for 2022, has also been accelerated.