INTERVIEW: Fighting words from Kevin Magnussen

Forget McLaren and Renault, Haas is my big break.

That's the opinion of Kevin Magnussen as he prepares for his third season of racing in Formula 1, with what will be his third different employer. The Dane lost his race seat at McLaren at the end of his rookie season in 2014 before a late call to join Renault ended after what he perceived as a lack of commitment from the French team, joking his seat was offered "to so many others ... I think at one point the Pope had an offer!"

In an exclusive interview with RACER, Magnussen admits that having a secure future in Formula 1 for the next two years is allowing him to approach 2017 with renewed optimism.

"It feels very, very good," Magnussen says. "Being able to focus on the off-season, the winter and the training focused towards something. Last off-season I didn't want to know, I just forgot about everything and took a bit of time off. I was very frustrated with everything, and now it's very different. I'm fully focused towards something that I know what it is."

At this time 12 months ago, Magnussen was without a drive. Cast aside by McLaren in favor of Stoffel Vandoorne, who took over as reserve driver and will race for the team in 2017, Magnussen was on the brink of leaving Formula 1 altogether after just one year on the grid.

"I was obviously talking to teams outside of Formula 1 and was pretty much agreed on a DTM drive," he says. "And then I got the opportunity with Renault, which was a big relief. Although I was also happy that I had some other opportunities, and especially the one I had in DTM was a good opportunity, Formula 1 was my dream and I felt very, very happy when I was able to sign a contract with Renault and get back to Formula 1. And now it looks like I'll continue to be in Formula 1."

There were clearly conflicting emotions for Magnussen when it came to the DTM deal, as it meant moving away from single-seaters. Asked if he felt like he was giving up on F1 by agreeing to move to the German touring car series, the 24-year-old replies with an immediate "Yeah.

"I hadn't signed the contract, but when you go and make a deal in DTM or anything outside of Formula 1 it feels like you let go of a big part of yourself. Even though I've only been in Formula 1 for so many years, it has been my life since I was born. My Dad [Jan] was racing [ED: in F1 for Stewart in 1997, pictured, and 1998, as well as a one-off cameo with McLaren in 1995), and I was dreaming about it and racing towards it all my life, so letting go of that was pretty tough. I hadn't let go completely but I realized it was looking quite s*&t."

Based on his past experience, and with Renault dallying over offering him a new contract, you would think a multi-year deal at Haas seems the perfect way to secure his long-term future in F1. But Magnussen insists his decision to join the newest team on the grid is based solely on one desire.

"I'm not going to play it safe now just because I nearly lost my career," he says. "I'm still going for greatness. My ambition is not just Formula 1, it's to be world champion. You can't play it safe and be world champion, you have to take chances, and that's what I'll do. I'll go for it and aim towards the world championship, and not just be happy with racing in Formula 1.

"I have nothing to prove against [Renault], really. I'm motivated because I want to be world champion in Formula 1 and not because I want to show any particular team that they were wrong or whatever. I'm focused on myself.

"Haas were just showing how keen they were, and they were very up front and honest and open about everything. They were very nice and very easy to deal with, so looking at their results and what they have in place for the future, for me it was a better place to be."

Magnussen's racing résumé already includes two years racing for two of the biggest teams in the sport, with podium on debut enhancing his reputation. And yet, it is the year in between - when he had to be patient as McLaren's reserve driver - that he sees as the most important in terms of his development.

"I think I learned more between 2014 and 2016. Definitely as a person I've grown a lot, and feel a lot stronger mentally. I'm more confident, more happy with my life in Formula 1. It can be a little bit tough as a young person to suddenly get into Formula 1, and a lot of things change in your life. There's a lot of pressure and lot of responsibility and that can be a bit tough to begin with, and now I feel much more confident and much more comfortable with that."

In many ways, Magnussen has had a strange racing career in F1. Both the McLaren and Renault names instill thoughts of success, winning races and championships and being home to some of the greatest drivers in the sport. But the 2013 Formula Renault 3.5 champion found himself driving for both teams at dramatically low points in their respective histories, and that proved to be a challenging environment for a young driver to learn in.

"Actually the situation was very similar with McLaren and Renault," he says. "Renault came from Lotus and is still the same team - they just have a different color and obviously different management - but the team had one of its worst seasons in a long time last season. And when I was with McLaren (pictured) it was kind of the same, it was one of their worst seasons in a long time.

"So it's very much a tough situation when a team that's used to being frontrunners and winning races, getting podiums and so on, suddenly aren't anymore. Then a lot of pressure arises and it's important for a team in that situation to stay calm."

As a result of the turmoil his previous teams have suffered, does Magnussen see his move to Haas, and the associated multi-year contract, as providing him with the first chance to show his true potential?

"Yes, definitely. It gives me more peace to work and focus.

"There's no limit [to where Haas can go]. It's obviously still a small team but racing with Haas my opportunities are very big."

Racing alongside Romain Grosjean - who himself left Lotus for Haas due to a lack of commitment to F1 from Renault at the time - Magnussen has an experienced and highly-rated benchmark to compare himself against. Now with stability off the track and more realistic expectations on it, the ingredients are in place for Magnussen to deliver on his early promise.