Kevin Magnussen ahead of Austin challenge: We need to keep the momentum going

Following the victory in São Paulo at the previous round of the FIA World Endurance Championship, the Danish BMW factory driver has high hopes for this weekend’s six-hour race at Circuit of The Americas in Austin.

Kevin Magnussen is back behind the wheel of his BMW M Hybrid V8 this weekend as the fifth round of the FIA World Endurance Championship takes place at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas. Together with his BMW M Team WRT teammates Dries Vanthoor and Raffaele Marciello, the Dane will be looking to maintain the momentum following their phenomenal victory at Interlagos in São Paulo in July.

The victory, which also marked Kevin Magnussen’s first World Championship win since making the switch from Formula 1 to the top class of sports car racing, helped the BMW factory team consolidate a strong second place in the manufacturers’ championship, just behind rivals Toyota. Magnussen, Vanthoor and Marciello are also sixth in the drivers’ championship and, with three races remaining, are still in contention for the 2026 title.

– Our race in Brazil was fantastic, and for me personally, taking my first World Championship victory was a huge experience. It shows that all the hard work following a very difficult 2025 season has paid off. As a team, we have stood on the top step of the podium twice this season, and this really isn’t a championship where winning races comes easily. Things are going well for us at the moment, and naturally the aim is to maintain the momentum and keep doing what we’re doing, says Kevin Magnussen.

With temperatures expected to exceed 30 degrees Celsius, a hot weekend awaits the BMW drivers, who will once again go up against the fastest sports cars from manufacturers including Ferrari, Alpine, Aston Martin, Toyota, Cadillac and Genesis. A total of 16 Hypercars will line up for the six-hour race at the 5.5-kilometre American circuit.

– There is no doubt that the biggest challenge will be the heat. It’s very hot and very humid, and managing the tyres will be crucial. Quite simply, that will be the key to a good result. Apart from that, I’m just looking forward to racing at COTA again. It’s a fantastic circuit – state-of-the-art and yet quite old-school at the same time – and there’s an amazing fanbase that always helps create a great atmosphere, adds the Dane.

Qualifying for the Lone Star Le Mans takes place on Saturday, 5 September, while the World Championship race gets underway on Sunday, 6 September at 1:00 PM local time. The race will be broadcast live on Eurosport and FIA WEC+.