Magnussen to be put on sick leave and likely to miss 24 hours of Daytona

Kevin Magnussen is likely to have to go on sick leave for some time. The Danish driver reported in a press release that he will have to undergo surgery on his hand and will therefore not be able to race for some time to come.

In the message, the Haas driver reported that he felt pain in his wrist. It turned out to be a cyst that needs to be removed via surgery. "It is a harmless procedure, but I probably need to rest for a couple of weeks afterwards," Magnussen explained.

Magnussen was scheduled to compete with his father Jan in the 24 Hours of Daytona on 28 January. Father and son would compete with two other drivers for MDK Motorsport's team. Magnussen is unlikely to be able to take part in that now.

"It’s an unfortunate situation for us, but the MDK Motorsports family fully supports Kevin," explained MDK Motorsport team boss Mark Kvamme. "The doctors will decide whether he will be able to race with us. If not, we’ll find another opportunity to go racing together."

Magnussen seems to be playing it safe in view of his Formula 1 commitment. The first test day for Formula 1 is scheduled for 23 February, and the first race will take place on 5 March. In all likelihood, Magnussen will have recovered sufficiently by then to simply participate.