Pre Race
THE LAST DANCE 
23 races are done! Now it’s time for the grand finale… And for Kevin Magnussen, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will be his very last Formula 1 race, as the Danish MoneyGram Haas F1 Team driver departs the American squad at the end of 2024 to embark on an exciting new chapter in sportscar racing with German automotive giant BMW.
But the battle is not over yet. Haas F1 still needs six points to surpass their rivals, Alpine. What does Kevin think about his final race with the team?
“Of course, we’re dreaming of bouncing back after losing ground to Alpine in Qatar. Five points behind, we just have to give it our best shot to move ahead. Gaining six points without Alpine scoring any is a massive challenge, but it’s not impossible,” said K-Mag.
“In my last race with MoneyGram Haas F1 Team, I’m hoping for a great result and I’m looking forward to the challenge. Abu Dhabi is a big race, being the season finale, there’s always a lot of hype around it, so I’m hoping for a good weekend.”
DID YOU KNOW THAT … Based on the man-made Yas Island, Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit hosted its first Formula 1 Grand Prix in 2009. Designed by the famous track designer Hermann Tilke, the 5.3km-long layout is dominated by the 1.2km straight and characterized by slow and medium speed corners which makes it a battleground for overtakings.
Race Day
READY FOR THE FINAL ONE 
The day has come – and Kevin Magnussen will start his final Formula 1 race for the MoneyGram Haas F1 Team from P14 when the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix goes green tonight. The Dane faced a tough qualifying session as the floor on his Haas VF-23 was damaged during Q1, resulting in an early knockout from Q2. Nevertheless, K-Mag remained optimistic when interviewed after Saturday’s session.
“It hurts a little bit to have my last qualifying session affected by the performance loss due to the floor damage, but I just have to go out there and make it right tomorrow. We need to have a good race and gain positions. The car clearly has pace, as after the first run in Q1, I was P3, and I thought it was going to be a great session. Everyone is quick; it’s not going to be easy, but hopefully, I can make up some ground tomorrow,” said Kevin.
Race Recap
“It’s been a privilege”
That’s a wrap! Kevin Magnussen drove his final Formula 1 Grand Prix for the MoneyGram Haas F1 Team in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, where the Dane finished in 16th place. Things initially looked promising for the Admin By Request-supported driver, who started from 14th place and climbed all the way to seventh on the first lap! However, a slow pit stop ruined his chances of finishing in the points…
“The first lap went well, from P14 to P7, so that was one good thing about this race. I had a slow pit stop that screwed up my race, and after the second pit stop, I got hit by Bottas, so it was definitely over then,” Kevin said after the race.
“It’s not the way I wanted to end the season, but we gave it a go. I tried something special on that first lap and went for it, gaining seven positions. Since my return, I think we’ve managed to turn the team around and get it on the right track, especially in the second half of this year, and I’m proud of that. I was a small kid dreaming about Formula 1 25 years ago, and I managed to spend 10 years in the sport I desperately dreamed of being a part of – it’s been a privilege.”
