Long-time F1 star leaves door open for more NASCAR races ahead of Cup Series debut

Long-time F1 star Kevin Magnussen has admitted that he's 'open-minded' about a potential future in NASCAR if his debut this weekend goes well.

The 33-year-old will step into a Cup Series car for the first time this Saturday for practice at the brand new street circuit at Coronado Naval Base, thanks to Trackhouse Racing bringing back their Project 91 entry.

Magnussen, who started 185 races in F1, has been racing in IMSA and WEC for BMW M Motorsport since his departure from the open-wheel series at the end of 2024.

Speaking to the media ahead of his NASCAR debut in San Diego this weekend, the Dane was asked whether he could be 'open-minded to doing more of [NASCAR]', and left the door wide open.

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KMag: I'll grab any opportunity

“I think I am pretty open-minded," he replied. "At this point in my career, as I said, I've been on that Formula 1 feeder system ever since I was a child from karting. Formula 1 was my main goal and that was where I was aiming, and then I spent 10 or 11 years in Formula 1.

Now at this point, I think the whole world of motorsport is kind of open and I'm just taking any opportunity I get and trying to have fun with it. Not that Formula 1 was not fun, but it was kind of like, I do have a sense that I'm just kind of playing around, having fun, experiencing cool things and that's a great privilege.

"Obviously, my time in Formula 1 gave me that privilege and opportunity and now I'm living that. I think I'm just keeping an open mind and really enjoying myself. And then, as I said, whatever opportunity I get, I'll look at it and try and grab it.”

Magnussen: I'm not SVG

He did, however, warn against expecting him to make a Shane van Gisbergen-esque impact in NASCAR, admitting: “Honestly, I try not to take that as a benchmark.

"Shane is a driver that comes from V8 supercars that are not too different to NASCAR Cup cars. And, you know, they race on tracks like this all the time in those cars, so this is like his home soil.

"Plus, he's a super special driver by the looks of it, so I think a big respect to what he's come in and done in NASCAR from V8s. I don't think I take him as a benchmark. I think I'll just kind of ease into it.

"As I said, I have no experience with these types of cars. I'll be given a 50-minute session to try and catch up on decades of practice of the other drivers, so that will be a steep learning curve, but hopefully I can keep up and get in the mix. That's kind of my hopes.”