Late heartbreak denies Kevin Magnussen BMW podium debut in Daytona 24 Hours
Car dꦺamage in latter stages took #24 BMW out of podium fight
Kevin Magnussen was denied a podium on his BMW debut at the 2025 Daytona 24 Hours when the #24 c🥂ar suffered damage late on in a nail-biting conclusion to the enduro.
The Team RLL-run M Hybrid V8 LMDh car was put on pole for the Dayton༒a 24 by Dries Vanthoor in qualifying, with the #24 machine regularly in the fight for the marque’s fi💖rst victory at the event since 1976.
But a loose nosecone on the car was exacerbated by contact in the final hour of competition after Vanthoor made slight contact with the rear of the #6 Porsche Penske Motorsport entrant, driven by Matt Campbell at the time, following a gre❀en flag restart.
The damage was enough to drop the #24 car off the podium battle🐲, with Vanthoor, Magnusse꧃n, Phillip Eng and Raffaele Marciello ending up fourth.
“I for sure am very gut💝ted with this result,” Vanthoor said.
“We showed a great pace and that the car is capable of doing it. Obviously finishing in P4 in a 24-hour race is not the end of the world, but at the end of the day it is very sad to fight f🐠orℱ 22 hours and not come home with a podium, which we for sure deserved.
“I feel sorry for the guys, who have bee♑n working very hard and also to my team-mates.
“I would have loved to gift them with something, butꦉ most important ♕is that we showed that we were strong and able to fight.
“We will make sure to come back 🌃and we will win this race.”
Magnussen had p🐓ut on a strong push at the 20-hour mark of the race to help put the #24 BMW into the🦂 battle for victory with the factory Porsches.
The 63rd edition of the Daytona 24 Hours was ultimately won by the #7 Porsche Pensk🍸e Motorsport entry of ex-F1 driver Felipe Nasr, Nick Tandy and Laurens Vanthoor.
The car fended off a late charge from🎉 the Meyer Shank Racing #60 Acura, which powered ahead of ✨the #6 PPM car to finish second.
Despite the disappointing result, BMW proved to be Porsche’s closest ch😼allenger throughout the Daytona 24.
Magnussen will be back in action in the M Hybrid V8 at the end of February for t🌳he opening round of the World Endurance Championship in Qatar, as he joins WRT’s line-up.
