Kevin Magnussen has sadly revealed that he won’t be competing in next weekend’s 24 Hours of Daytona, after being told by doctors to miss the race as a result of his recent hand surgery.
The Haas driver underwent surgery on his hand recently to remove a cyst, with the Dane having been advised to skip the endurance race to allow his hand to fully heal.
He has since decided to follow the advice given to him by medical professionals, meaning he won’t be lining-up alongside his father at Daytona.
Magnussen was set to compete for MDK Motorsports alongside his father Jan, Mark Kvamme and Trenton Estep in a Porsche 911 GT3 R, in what would’ve been his third time racing in the event.
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“I’ve been advised by the doctors not to drive the race next week,” revealed Magnussen.
“The surgery went well, but I need to rest as much as possible to be fit for fight before we begin preparing for the F1 season. It’s a shame. I’ve been looking forward to that fantastic race and to get a new chance to drive with my father and MDK Motorsports. I’m wishing the team a great weekend at Daytona.”
Whilst he’s ruled himself out of the endurance event, Haas have confirmed that the Danish driver will be able to complete pre-season testing at the end of next month, with Magnussen now having plenty of time to recover.
Magnussen will be hopeful that his hand surgery won’t impact his performance at either pre-season testing or the first race of the season in Bahrain, with the Dane having performed incredibly well at the venue last season.
After being called-up to replace Nikita Mazepin prior to the start of last season, Magnussen astonishingly finished fifth in his returning race in Formula 1.
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His incredible result saw the Dane claim Haas’ first points since the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix, where Romain Grosjean claimed ninth.
Magnussen went on to enjoy a solid first-year back in the sport, after asserting himself as the team’s number one driver over Mick Schumacher.
He achieved six top-ten finishes in 2022, compared to Schumacher’s two, with the Dane now looking ahead to partnering Nico Hulkenberg at the Americans next season.