Magnussen makes bizarre 'cows on grass' Daytona claim

Former F1 driver Kevin Magnussen has comically claimed that the Daytona 24 Hours drivers are sometimes like excited "cows on the grass" for the first time in a year.

The Dane is racing in this weekend's Rolex 24, and is part of the #24 BMW crew starting on pole position at the Daytona International Speedway. 

It marks his first race since not being offered a full-time seat by Haas for the 2025 F1 season; however, he is remaining with the American team in a behind-the-scenes role. 

For this year, Magnussen is competing for BMW in both IMSA and WEC – including the Le Mans 24 Hours. 

First up is this weekend's Rolex 24, which Magnussen concedes is a different world to F1. 

"I think it's very different, this sort of racing, from where I came from [in Formula 1]," Magnussen told Autoweek. 

"In Formula 1, only the 10 first cars get points, so if you're around the P11, P10, you need to get your elbows out. The race reward is very high because if you're P11 you get zero – it's virtually pointless.

"Here, it's a long race. You need to keep the car clean. Of course, if you're fighting for the win at the very end, you go for it, that's very clear."

High excitement levels

This weekend's race is not Magnussen's first Daytona 24 Hours, with the 32-year-old having made two previous appearances. 

Those appearances came with Cadillac in 2021 and 2022, although his best result came on his debut after securing fifth. 

Starting from pole position, Magnussen and the #25 BMW crew have an excellent chance of clinching a podium.

When asked to compare his F1 experience to the 24 hours of racing ahead of him, Magnussen explained: "It is a very different situation.

"With BMW, I'm going to be much more competitive than I've been in Formula 1. It's a very different risk and reward situation.

"Looking forward to some great racing. I've been in IMSA before, and I know the racing is great. Sometimes in this Daytona 24, it's the first race for all the drivers and you're excited to get on track.

"It's a little bit like they let the cows on the grass in the beginning of year and sometimes they get a little bit excited, even though there's 24 hours to go on the first lap."