Categories: F1 News, Reports and Race ResultsMcLaren

Magnussen deserves F1 career - Dennis

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McLaren chairman Ron Dennis says Kevin Magnussen deserves an F1 career, with the Dane leaving the team in search of a race seat.

Magnussen took to Twitter on Friday to confirm his departure from McLaren, thanking the team which gave him his F1 debut in 2014. However, after being demoted to the role of test and reserve driver this season, Magnussen will leave the team at the end of the year in order to try and find a race seat elsewhere.

Dennis says there is "no shame" in Magnussen not being able to regain his McLaren seat from either Jenson Button or Fernando Alonso, and hopes to be able to help him find a drive elsewhere.

Magnussen confirms McLaren departure

"Kevin has always done a very impressive and professional job for McLaren in the five years since he joined our Young Driver Programme in 2010," Dennis said.

"In 2014 he raced very well alongside Jenson, who is a hugely experienced and very quick World Champion. Kevin's Grand Prix debut in Melbourne last year was rewarded with a podium that day that he, and we, can be justifiably proud of.

"Kevin has continued to work hard for us in 2015, supporting Fernando and Jenson, although he was understandably frustrated not to be racing.

"He is extremely keen to return to racing next year, and, in keeping with our tradition with our young drivers, we will not stand in the way of his ability to fulfil his ambition and potential.

"He is a very talented racing driver, and he deserves to have a Formula 1 career, as Jenson has publicly said.

"Evidently, we have no space for him at McLaren-Honda as a race driver next year, but there is no shame in being edged out by two World Champions, Fernando and Jenson. We wish Kevin well, and will do all we can to help him successfully embark on the next chapter of his racing career."

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Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.