Kevin Magnussen will retain ties to Haas in a test and development role in 2025, having lost the permanent Formula 1 seat that he held with the team at the end of last season.
Magnussen, who returned to Haas in 2022 having raced with the team between 2017 and 2020, was overlooked to extend his second spell past the previous campaign.
The Dane lost out despite ex-team-mate Nico Hulkenberg penning a move to Sauber, with Haas opting to sign Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman in a revised driver line-up.
But since the announcement that he would be vacating his seat, both parties had made clear the shared desire to continue the partnership in an alternative capacity.
Haas boss Ayao Komatsu has now revealed that Magnussen will be involved in its Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) programme which allows runs in two-year-old creations.
The Kannapolis-based squad hosted its inaugural TPC programme in Jerez last week, which has come about due to the technical alliance that it boasts with Toyota.
The arrangement will also give Haas access to the Japanese marque’s simulator, which Magnussen will also spend time in as he supports the team’s on-track endeavours.
When asked whether it had finalised plans with Magnussen, Komatsu answered via RacingNews365: “He’s gonna drive some TPCs and simulators.”
Haas will lean on Toyota drivers for TPC programme
Haas has not communicated which other names will be incorporated into the team’s reserve driver pool, though Toyota has two names whose services could be provided.
Rio Hirakawa has signed a deal with Alpine to be among the contingent that supports the Enstone-based squad’s full-time duo alongside Paul Aron and Franco Colapinto.
However, the Japanese racer participated in the post-season test in Abu Dhabi last month with Haas, with Komatsu praising how he conducted the run in the VF-24.
“Abu Dhabi, he impressed us a lot in terms of everything: speed, feedback, consistency, delivery – didn’t make any big mistakes,” Komatsu explained.
“He was on the pace straight away, feedback was pretty amazing… I think the Toyota guys were kind of expecting that, because they knew what they saw with McLaren [when he was its reserve driver].”
Meanwhile, Ritomo Miyata, who competed in Formula 2 last season, is on Toyota’s books and also accrued mileage in Haas’ 2023 charger, the VF-23 on Spanish soil.
Miyata endured an underwhelming campaign in the second tier in 2024, ending up 19th with Rodin, but he has switched to ART Grand Prix for his sophomore season.
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