Kevin Magnussen in Doubt for Rolex 24 Due to Hand Surgery

Kevin Magnussen’s participation in the Rolex 24 at Daytona is in doubt after the Formula 1 driver announced that he is preparing to undergo hand surgery next week.

Magnussen, who races for Haas in F1, is due to pilot an MDK Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season-opener but his appearance in the event is now uncertain.

The Danish star forms part of a four-driver GTD lineup alongside his IMSA title-winning father Jan Magnussen, Trenton Estep and MDK team owner Mark Kvamme.

“I had a sore wrist so I went to the doctor to have it looked at and they found a cyst that needs to be removed now so I can be ready for the F1 season,” Magnussen said.

“It’s a harmless procedure, but I probably need to rest for a couple of weeks afterwards. I need to wait and see what the doctor says, but it’s unlikely that I can race at Daytona.”

Daytona is the third planned outing for the father-son Magnussen pairing, after they shared an LMP2 car at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2021 and teamed up with Kvamme for the Gulf 12 Hours in December.

“It’s an unfortunate situation for us, but the MDK Motorsports family fully supports Kevin,” Kvamme said.

“Kevin’s F1 schedule has highest priority, and the sooner he’s fit for fight, the better.

“The doctors will decide whether he will be able to race with us. If not, we’ll find another opportunity to go racing together.”