Getting to know McLaren newbie Kevin Magnussen

McLaren’s new pair, Jenson Button and Kevin Magnussen(right)

Sergio’s Perez’s disappointing run as a McLaren driver came to an end on 14 November 2013 when McLaren announced that Danish driver Kevin Magnussen would be Jenson Button‘s team-mate for the upcoming F1 season.

McLaren always seem to come up with a surprise every now and then. No one has forgotten the cases of Mika Hakkinen and Lewis Hamilton – both were calculated risks taken by McLaren that paid off. And then there are the cases of Heikki Kovalainen and Sergio Perez, who failed to live up to the expectations.

This time too, McLaren have gone with a rookie – Kevin Magnussen – who they signed earlier this month.

But who exactly is Magnussen, and where has he come from?

Born on 5th October 1992, Magnussen hails from Denmark. Racing blood runs through his body as his father, Jan Magnussen, is a former F1 driver.

Magnussen’s first taste of glory came in the Formula Ford series where he won the championship.

He then moved to Formula Renault in 2009 where he finished as runner-up. Although he failed to win the championship, there was a sense that the Dane had a bright career ahead of him.

In 2013, Magnussen was part of the Driot Associés Motor Sport team, also known as DAMS, and he won the Formula Renault 3.5 series title with 8 pole positions, 5 wins and 13 podium finishes. He won the series by accumulating 274 points in 18 races.

With the terrible run of last season’s MP4-28 engine coming to an end, Magnussen will hope that he has a good car to start with in his debut season. The newer MP4-29 will be used for the 2014 season.

McLaren fans will hope that Magnussen will have a debut season like Lewis Hamilton, who almost won the Championship immediately after starting out.