"There's a bit of an opportunity" - Kevin Magnussen feels there's lot of 'will' from motorsports community to see a female driver 'excel' [Exclusive]
Kevin Magnussen hopes his daughter Laura doesn’t want to join Motorsport as the third generation of his family.
Acknowledging the push for women into the sport at a competitive level, he believes there is a huge opportunity but hopes his daughter does not choose Motorsport as a living.
Speaking about his brother racing after his father and him, Kevin Magnussen said:
“Yeah it seems if you are a boy and a Magnussen, you have to race there is no way around it.”
Asked by Sportskeeda if the Magnussen women faced the same pressure to race, the Danish driver said:
“You have to ask them. There’s been no female Magnussens in motorsports so far. I don’t know to be honest there’s part of me that hopes my kids won’t get into racing again for the same reasons I just said."
"There’s a bit of an opportunity right now, if you’re a girl and your into racing, and I think there’s a big push and almost like an opportunity. Just there’s a lot will from the whole Motorsport community to see finally a girl to excel in Motorsport.”
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Kevin Magnussen with his daughter Laura on Apr 30 2022 🥰✨️ https://t.co/ENya3o1H6T
Speaking to the on-site media at the Bahrain weekend, Kevin Magnussen believes Magnussen men eventually get bitten by the racing bug. The Dane hopes his daughter Laura does not get bitten by the same bug, despite the push for women in the sport. He believes there are huge opportunities now for women with the entire fraternity desiring to witness a female at a competitive level in the sport.
Asked what he would say if his daughter Laura showed up and said she wanted to race, the Haas driver replied:
“Piss off. That’s it.”
Kevin Magnussen feels Motorsport is risky for another generation of his family to enter the sport
As much as he would love to race with his children, Kevin Magnussen is reluctant to encourage another generation of Magnussens into the sport. The Dane feels there is risk and sacrifice involved, with only 20 people in the world being able to secure the opportunity to drive in F1. He believes it is worth it if the efforts pay off, but it can be tough if it doesn’t.
Speaking to on-site media, including Sportskeeda ahead of the Bahrain GP, Kevin Magnussen said:
“I hope not. I am very passionate about racing and there is a part of me that would love to get into racing with my kids but there’s also a lot of risk both physically. I don’t know, it’s a big risk to dedicate your life to getting into sport that has 20 spots. You sacrifice a lot of things and if doesn’t go right it can be tough.”
Cute Alert: Kevin Magnussen Is Teaching His One-Year-Old Daughter How to Race dlvr.it/SM8DPF https://t.co/ZXuD94atFl
With father Jan Magnussen still actively into motor racing, Kevin Magnussen will be driving with him in the Gulf 12 hour race at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi. The father and son duo will be driving the Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo with MDK Motorsport in December, after the F1 season concludes.
While Jan Magnussen had a short stint in F1 from 1995 to 1998, Kevin Magnussen has had a fairly better and longer career in the sport.