Kevin Magnussen was supposed to drive for a rival team in 2014, not McLaren, team principal Martin Whitmarsh has revealed.
The young Danish driver will replace Sergio Perez at McLaren next season to partner Jenson Button, but according to Whitmarsh, he had “shook hands” with a rival team principal on a deal for Magnussen to race for them.
“Kevin is an extraordinary young man who deserves to be in F1,” he told the official F1 website. “I hoped and tried to find him a cockpit – I even did a deal and shook hands with a team principal up and down this paddock – an absolute deal – but he stepped back…”
Whitmarsh refused to name the team principal, but it’s believed the deal was with Marussia or Force India.
He admitted to being disappointed that they went back on their word, but ultimately blames himself.
“I would like to [name them] but I won’t,” he said. “Even after 25 years I find that difficult to deal with – I know I shouldn’t, but I am still hopelessly naive. I still think that if you look somebody in the eye and shake hands then that’s a done deal. When it turns out like in the Magnussen case, then I am shocked – and I tell myself ‘learn, don’t be naive’.”
