Pre Race
Kevin Magnussen is back on track this week as the first round of the FIA World Endurance Championship kicks off in Qatar. This marks Kevin’s debut in the prestigious world championship for the fastest and most advanced sports cars ever, as the Danish driver joins his new team, BMW M Team WRT, the German automotive giant’s official factory team.
The track, however, is a familiar one for Kevin, Lusail International Circuit in Qatar, which has also hosted several Formula 1 races. It’s a high-grip track with a fast layout, putting significant demands on the tires.
“I’m really looking forward to getting started in the world championship, especially after a strong debut with BMW at Daytona, where we were in contention for the win from start to finish. The team has made huge progress with the car over the winter, and now it’ll be exciting to see if all the hard work pays off. The competition is fierce,” says Kevin Magnussen.
Three things you need to know:
- The race in Qatar covers a distance of 1,812 kilometers (or 10 hours, whichever comes first). Why? Because December 18 is Qatar’s official National Day!
- Kevin shares his #15 BMW M Hybrid V8 with Belgian driver Dries Vanthoor and Italian driver Raffaele Marciello they will compete in the 18-cars top class, Hypercar.
- Kevin will face two of his former Formula 1 teammates in this championship: Mick Schumacher (racing for Alpine) and Jenson Button (driving for Cadillac).
The WEC race in Qatar goes green on Friday, February 28, at 14:00 local time (GMT +3). Wanna follow? Watch every session on the official FIA WEC App!
Race Day
“A solid start to the season”
What a great start to the 2025 FIA WEC session for Kevin Magnussen who finished fourth in the first round of the championship in Qatar! The Admin By Request powered BMW factory driver is satisfied with his World Championship debut for the German manufacturer, which ended just outside the podium after a tough battle against Ferrari who secured a 1-2-3 victory.
– A solid start to the season, I would say. We managed to carry the strong performance from last week’s test into the race, and we were faster than most. Naturally, it’s incredibly frustrating to finish just outside the podium, but the Ferraris was simply too strong, and unfortunately, we also didn’t get through the race without mistakes. The important thing is that the team has clearly shown progress compared to last season. Now, we need to go home, analyze the race, and continue working on the project so we can come back stronger at Imola. A big thanks to the whole team, says Kevin Magnussen.
Well done, Kevin! Kevin Magnussen’s next task is the second round of the American IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the 12-hour race at Sebring International Raceway on March 15, where the Danish driver will compete for BMW M Team RLL.
📸 BMW M Motorsport
