Racing Lines: How Kevin Magnussen Created Another Comeback Story Car News

He was one of the drivers, along with Romain Dumas and Marc Lieb, who inherited victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans when the leading Toyota failed with just three minutes on the clock in 2016 – the year he also became WEC champion.

But since then, everything has not been easy. When Porsche dove into Formula E, Jani was called in to lead the line with André Lotterer, surely with those stellar A1GP days in mind. But while Lotterer remains, Jani was replaced by Pascal Wehrlein after just one season in 2019/20, and he has since retired to GT racing.

Last year Jani won the WEC GTE Pro class three times and finished second in the GT class at Sebring with Bamber and Laurens Vanthoor. Barely shabby, but at 38, there are probably younger, more “fashionable” riders ahead of him on the wish list of the builder-filled new GTP era kicking off in 2023.

That’s why Jani’s last-minute launch into the Caddy’s seat and how he played his part in a cherished win at one of motor racing’s ‘majors’ could prove key to prolonging a career. already long and varied. After Sebring, its return to the premier class of sports car racing may have become a little clearer.

Double-check a box

“When I sit down and look at what I want to accomplish in my career, it’s winning the big sports car races overall, in the top class, that matters,” Lynn told us when we spoke to him before the 24 Hours of Daytona. in January.

Well, the Brit ticked Sebring’s box twice, having maintained his perfect 12 Hours record of two starts and two wins, following the victory he shared with Ricky and Jordan Taylor in the Cadillac DPi-VR of Wayne Taylor Racing in 2017.

Le Mans, Daytona, plus the Nürburgring and Spa-Francorchamps 24-hour races… For those drivers who missed out on F1 (and for those who did so only to be spat out on the other side), it’s the majors that matter more. As they always have.

Good week