'No way' McLaren F1 reserve Magnussen won't race something in 2016

McLaren-Honda Formula 1 reserve Kevin Magnussen says there is "no way in hell" he will accept another season without racing full time

The Dane has largely sat on the sidelines in 2015, having been replaced in McLaren's F1 race line-up by double world champion Fernando Alonso.

Magnussen was demoted to a reserve role with the Woking squad and deputised for Alonso when the Spaniard missed the final pre-season test and first race of 2015 with concussion, but he has otherwise been without a race programme.

He hoped to secure a seat in IndyCar for this year, but the requirement to sub for Alonso at the last minute scuppered his chances.

What's the point in being an F1 reserve?

Magnussen told AUTOSPORT he would not accept spending another season without a race deal of some sort.

"There will not be one more year without racing - no way in hell," he said.

"I'll stay for one year like this and then hopefully something will happen [in F1], and if not you'll have to move on and do something else.

"I'm not saying I definitely won't be here as reserve driver.

"If I don't get a [race] drive then I might do something else and if I can be reserve driver as well then that'll be good.

"But I hope that's not going to be it - I hope to be back in Formula 1 next year."

MAGNUSSEN'S OPTIONS

The future of Magnussen's 2014 team-mate Jenson Button is insecure, because McLaren would have to exercise an option in the contract to retain the 2009 world champion for a further season in 2016.

That means Magnussen could be in line for a return to McLaren's race team next year, should the team decide not to keep Button.

There was a suggestion within McLaren at the end of last season that Magnussen would be first in line to race should Honda provide engines for a customer team, but McLaren currently thinks that would be an unhelpful distraction to its engine partner.

Although his hopes of an IndyCar seat fell through for this year, Magnussen says he will "definitely" do IndyCar at some point in the future.

"I've always loved IndyCar and I think there's something about it which is really cool," Magnussen added. "I just like old-school racing.

"We had such a short time to find the budget [this year] and then with what happened to Fernando McLaren needed me, and I didn't really have the time to find the budget."