Kevin Magnussen, recent off his first win in eight years, will make his IndyCar debut as he continues to depart System One in his rearview mirror.

Magnussen will race at Highway America in Wisconsin this weekend for Arrow McLaren SP because the substitute driver for Felix Rosenqvist, who was injured in a crash at Detroit on Saturday. Rosenqvist has not been medically cleared to drive, the crew stated Wednesday.

Each drivers tweeted concerning the change Wednesday, with Rosenqvist saying he’s focused on getting back to 100% and Magnussen writing that he “couldn’t say no to the opportunity” to creating his collection debut.

https://twitter.com/KevinMagnussen/status/1405175297377554432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Magnussen made 19 begins for the McLaren System 1 crew in 2014, together with a career-best end of second on the Australian Grand Prix. However his seven years in F1 got here to an finish when Haas dumped Magnussen and Romain Grosjean on the finish of final season.

Grosjean moved on to IndyCar and was reunited with Magnussen final weekend in Detroit, the place IndyCar and the IMSA sports activities automotive collection ran a doubleheader.

Hours after Rosenqvist’s crash, Magnussen scored his first IMSA victory since 2013 in a World Collection by Renault race in Barcelona.

Magnussen will probably be competing Sunday at Highway America in opposition to former teammate Grosjean and Marcus Ericsson, who left F1 for IndyCar after the 2018 season and in Detroit picked up his first IndyCar victory to offer Ganassi a Saturday sweep.

These are the alternatives the Danish driver was on the lookout for when he determined to depart F1 following his break up with Haas. Sticking round simply to drive for one more crew incapable of competing for wins appeared lower than interesting.

“If I had a Mercedes or a Purple Bull, I would not say no. I do not assume many racing drivers would, however that is not going to occur,” Magnussen stated.

Magnussen seemed to america for work and located it driving a sports activities automotive for Chip Ganassi Racing, which late final fall determined to return to IMSA competitors after a one-year hiatus from the collection. The hassle to launch a brand new, factory-backed Cadillac program was intense, and Ganassi, who famously boasts “I like winners” each time one in every of his drivers will get a victory, picked Magnussen as co-driver with collection veteran Renger van der Zande.

“As a younger child you develop up understanding it’s essential to win races to proceed, and if you happen to transfer up the degrees towards F1, if that is your purpose, you get used to successful races since you anticipate it,” Magnussen stated. “It is advisable be in precisely the best state of affairs to win in System One, so you understand, after some time, when you understand that you do not have an opportunity of successful, on the finish of the day, it doesn’t matter what you do whether or not it’s motorsports or chess, you need to be successful.

“Coming right here, I knew once I signed up with Chip Ganassi I might have an opportunity at successful races. It has been extra gratifying than something I’ve carried out for the previous couple of years.”

His resurgence mirrors that of Grosjean, who was let go along with Magnussen when Haas changed each its drivers with a pair of rookies. Grosjean moved to IndyCar and hasn’t seemed again. When he gained the pole on the highway course at Indianapolis after which completed second, the roar from the gang and adrenaline rush from main laps once more was exhilarating.

Grosjean and Magnussen had been in a position to meet in Detroit through the IndyCar-IMSA doubleheader and replicate on their rekindled ardour for racing.

“I’ve simply missed going racing with the purpose of successful,” Magnussen stated. “This 12 months, the sensation I’ve going to races jogs my memory somewhat of the way it was earlier than System One. I’ve form of missed that feeling. I am tremendous comfortable about that, and I had some nice experiences. Having stated that, I really feel recent motivation, and I really feel prefer it’s enjoyable once more.”

In August, he’ll crew along with his father on an entry for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Jan Magnussen has 22 Le Mans begins and 4 GT class wins, whereas will probably be Kevin’s debut within the French endurance basic. The daddy and son had been visitors of Ganassi at a NASCAR race in Charlotte, North Carolina, and the crew proprietor knew he was getting a driver who might ship.

“I need to know what these guys are manufactured from, I need to know what sort of individual they’re. That is actual essential to me and why we’re right here doing what we do,” Ganassi stated. “I like guys who’re made as much as be winners. A variety of guys know how one can drive quick, however not a whole lot of guys can win races. That is a key factor for me.”

The Related Press contributed to this report.