Jan Magnussen

4/7/1973

Record updated 04-Jul-06

Jan Magnussen
Jan Magnussen is a race car driver from Denmark. He has qualified for 25 Formula One grands prix, debuting on October 22, 1995 in the Pacific Grand Prix in Aida, sitting in for the unwell Mika Häkkinen. He has actually only raced in 24 GPs, because the Ford-Stewart racer was damaged in an accident before the GP of Brazil in 1997 which caused Magnussen to retire before the start. In 1996 he drove in the CART series. 1997-1998 he had a seat in Formula 1 with the Stewart-Ford team. Team founder Jackie Stewart was once described him as the best prospect since Ayrton Senna, so his failure to succeed was embarrassing for the team. He scored a total of 1 championship point (in his last race in F1, the 1998 Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal).

In 1998 he participated in 7 CART races and one ALMS race. In 1999 and 2000 he raced in ALMS with Panoz. 2001 he drove a Peugeot in Danish Touring Car series (DTC) and raced in 8 ALMS races. 2002 he also raced for Peugeot in DTC and in 10 ALMS races.

Jan has participated in various classes in the 24 hours of Le Mans every year since 1999. His best results so far are the victories in the GTS class in 2004 and GT1 class in both 2005 and 2006, each time in a Chevrolet Corvette with Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta as team mates.

Also, Jan has participated in the 12 Hours of Sebring every year since 1999. Here, his best result was the 2006 win of the GT1 class.

In 2005 Jan drove a Toyota Corolla in the Danish Touring Car series.

Jan is still an active driver, now in the Danish Touring Car series (DTC) and in one of the Pontiac GTO.Rs in the Grand-Am with Paul Edwards as team mate – and of course in the 24 hours of Le Mans. In the Danish Touring Car series he drives for the BMW team.



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