Kevin Magnussen has revealed how his wife Louise played more than just a supporting role in getting the Dane’s motorsport career up and running.

A near-constant presence in the garage, Louise Magnussen has proven to be the perfect ally for husband Kevin and that support stretches back to the Dane’s early F1 days.

Kevin Magnussen reveals wife’s financial support in early F1 career

While many of the F1 grid meet their partners after establishing themselves in the sport, Magnussen met his wife in his hometown of Roskilde having been dumped out of the sport.

“She was working as a waitress in a restaurant and I just started flirting with her in the restaurant,” Magnussen told Autosport. “I had just lost my seat at McLaren and we met at a time when I was quite depressed.

“She was studying – she’s a teacher and she was studying for that – and I was living in her little apartment. Basically she looked after me, not the other way around.”

That support was not only crucial for Magnussen’s emotional wellbeing but also his finances with Louise footing the bill for a DTM test with Mercedes.

“I ran out of money completely. I paid a big part of what I earned to my investor,” Magnussen recalled. “And I was young and dumb, so I spent the rest. I spent every penny I earned that year. So a few months into the following year, I simply ran out of money.

“I had no income. The bank had blocked all my credit cards. So when I got an offer from Toto [Wolff] to do a DTM shootout test with Mercedes, I couldn’t even buy an EasyJet ticket. She paid for it. And I borrowed her credit card to go to that test and buy food and petrol for the rental car. She’s really been amazing.”

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Magnussen returned to F1 in 2016 with Renault before moving to Haas the following year. Whilst with the American team, Louise and daughters Laura and Agnes were often spotted in the pits supporting the Danish driver.

Having left Haas at the end of this season, Magnussen is now looking forward to spending more time with his young family.

“It has given me the opportunity to live a privileged life,” he said. “First and foremost, I look at it from the perspective that I’m a dad now. I provide for my family and I can do that by driving a car and still enjoy life.

“That is a huge privilege that not many people have. I can spend all the time I want with my kids. And we still have food on the table. You know, that’s the most important thing I take away from this career. That’s what I’m most grateful for.”

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