BUDAPEST, Hungary — Kevin Magnussen stated his precedence is to remain in Method One past 2024 however his fast future continues to be being held up by Carlos Sainz’s personal contract state of affairs.

On Thurdsay, Haas confirmed Magnussen — the workforce’s most skilled driver — will go away on the finish of the season.

The American workforce has already signed Oliver Bearman and seems set to signal outgoing Alpine driver Esteban Ocon for the opposite seat, a transfer which might be introduced forward of subsequent week’s Belgian Grand Prix.

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“I hope I can keep in Method One,” Magnussen stated after confirming he is speaking to a number of groups.

“I feel there’s some attention-grabbing seats obtainable. I feel all of the groups by now in Method One are attention-grabbing. The entire bunch. … You can take a look at any workforce and say they is perhaps a top-five workforce subsequent 12 months. Everybody’s so tightly collectively. It looks like there’s nonetheless attention-grabbing alternatives.”

There are nonetheless seats obtainable at Alpine, Williams and Sauber, however every seems ready for Sainz to make his resolution earlier than committing elsewhere.

Sainz has been weighing up numerous choices since February, when Ferrari confirmed it had signed Lewis Hamilton for subsequent 12 months.

A number of sources have indicated to ESPN that Sainz may additionally be delaying issues to evaluate whether or not alternatives open up at both Pink Bull or Mercedes.

Magnussen had beforehand described Sainz as “the cork within the bottle” when it comes to different drivers making their subsequent choices.

Magnussen hopes Sainz doesn’t delay an excessive amount of longer.

“He is the massive title obtainable proper now. All of the groups which have obtainable seats try to safe him,” Magnussen stated.

“I feel ultimately a number of the groups will change into impatient. Or may come, I can not say for certain. However he cannot preserve holding it up. However I am certain he will not.

“He’ll make the choice that’s finest for him. He is rightly so contemplating very fastidiously the place he is going. Not that I’ve talked to him about it, however I can think about that he’s. That is the state of affairs. When that lands, then all the remainder will fairly shortly type itself out.”

On whether or not that is left him in a irritating place when it comes to his personal subsequent steps, Magnussen stated: “In a approach, sure, nevertheless it’s pure. You’ve got a race-winning Ferrari driver out of the blue obtainable. And truly obtainable solely to the underside groups. So that they’re clearly seeing a giant alternative. That is sensible to me.”

Magnussen isn’t any stranger to an unsure F1 future. After his rookie season with McLaren he spent the next 12 months because the workforce’s reserve driver. After stints with Renault and Haas he spent a 12 months out in 2021, earlier than making a sensational return in 2022 after assuming his F1 profession was over.

Though remaining in F1 is the precedence, Magnussen stated the prospect of life away from the game is one thing he’ll discover simpler to simply accept this time round.

“There’s a lot [outside F1]. In 2021, I used to be out of F1, however I used to be racing in IMSA [sports car racing],” he stated.

“It is truly fairly a busy schedule. You are going to America 11 or 12 occasions in the course of the 12 months. It wasn’t a quiet 12 months, nevertheless it was no less than a really completely different 12 months.

“It’s a must to bear in mind my entire life since I used to be just a little child was about attending to Method One. Then I’ve had 10 years within the sport. It was attention-grabbing and thrilling to see a distinct aspect of life in 2021. It wasn’t scary. It was truly very optimistic and enjoyable.

“I feel that modified my mindset when it comes to … I had plenty of concern earlier than that of shedding in Method One as a result of I did not know what was on the surface. That confirmed me that maintain on to Method One so long as you possibly can, however do not concern the surface. The afterlife [of F1] goes to be good.”