Kevin Magnussen to leave Haas Formula 1 team at season's end

July 18 (UPI) -- Kevin Magnussen will leave the MoneyGram Haas Formula 1 team at the end of the 2024 season, the veteran driver and his team announced Thursday.

"It's been an incredible journey , seven seasons filled with both highs and lows and lots of big moments and fantastic memories, and I'd like to thank everyone at the team," Magnussen wrote on Facebook and Instagram.

"Racing has always been, and will always be, a part of who I am. I'm a racer to the very core of my soul, and I'm deeply grateful for everyone who has been a part of my Formula 1 career thus far."

Magnussen sits in the No. 16 spot in the 2024 driver standings, 250 points behind first-place Max Verstappen. He totaled two Top 10 performances so far this season, including an eighth-place run last month at the Australian Grand Prix. Magnussen finished 12th in the July 7 British Grand Prix.

A post shared by Kevin Magnussen (@kevinmagnussen)

The 31-year-old Danish driver said he plans to focus "on giving everything" he has to Haas for the rest of the season. He will participate in the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday at the Hungaroring in Mogyorod.

Magnussen's best finish of his first 175 starts came when he was with McLaren at the 2014 Australian Grand Prix. He finished third, but was promoted to second because of a disqualification.

Magnussen started his career in kart racing before moving on to Formula 1. He also competed in the 2021 Grand Prix of Road America in Plymouth, Wis.

Magnussen, who also drove for Renault, first drove for Haas from 2017 to 2020. He returned to the team in 2022.

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"I'd like to thank Kevin for everything he's given us as a team -- both on and off the track," MoneyGram Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu said.

"He's truly been a bedrock of our driver line-up over the years. Nobody's driven more races for us and we've had some memorable highlights together -- not least a remarkable fifth place finish at the Bahrain Grand Prix in 2022 when Kevin returned to start his second spell with the team.

"He wasn't expecting to be driving a Formula 1 car that weekend, but he put in a remarkable performance that was a tremendous boost to the entire organization and once again showcased his own talents behind the wheel.

"There's plenty of racing to go this year so I'm looking forward to seeing what else we can achieve with Kevin as we push together in the championship."

The Hungarian Grand Prix will air at 9 a.m. Sunday on ESPN.