Mar.28 (GMM) Kevin Magnussen has admitted he let an opportunity to race in Indycar this year slide when Fernando Alonso had his Barcelona testing crash.
With McLaren-Honda preferring an all-champion lineup of Alonso and Jenson Button for 2015, the Dane was relegated to the reserve role but still leaving the door open to race opportunities elsewhere.
“I looked at an option in Indycar,” the 22-year-old revealed in Malaysia, “and almost signed a contract with one of the teams, but my priority has always been formula one.
“When I replaced Fernando in Australia, Indycar became impossible so we abandoned the idea,” Magnussen is quoted by f1news.ru.
Ultimately, Magnussen’s race in the place of Alonso was a big disappointment, as he qualified dead last before breaking down even before making it to the Melbourne grid on Sunday.
He is now fully committed to the reserve role. “Yes, I will come to every race,” he said. “I have no other work.”
Magnussen said opportunities in Le Mans sports cars, where his father Jan races a Corvette, have also dried up, as “all the seats are occupied now”.
“It (Le Mans) is interesting,” he admitted, “but not for now.
“Of course I want to race, but I’m very young and I won’t give up. My goal is formula one, even though right now it might be a bit boring,” he explained in Malaysia. “But I’m patient.”
Magnussen continued: “I don’t know if I will stay at McLaren in the future, or if the team will help me find a place in another team, but I believe that the role of third driver gives me the best chance.”
He admitted, however, that he is not even sure if he will get to drive the MP4-30 again in 2015.
“I hope so,” said Magnussen. “I don’t know how many days, but hopefully one or two.”