Kevin Magnussen will replace Nikita Mazepin for the upcoming Formula 1 season, Haas have confirmed.
The American team needed to find a new driver with less than two weeks until the first race of the campaign after parting company with Russian racer Mazepin.
Mazepin was sacked after the team ended its relationship with title sponsor Uralkali – the fertiliser firm co-owner by his mega-rich father Dmitry.
With that Russian money no longer paying for his place in the sport, Mazepin was promptly let go – freeing up a space on the grid.
After much speculation, Haas confirmed on Wednesday that they had brought back former racer Magnussen to partner Mick Schumacher for 2022.
The Danish driver brings a wealth of F1 experience with him, having started 119 races across six seasons.
He spent a year with McLaren in 2014 but was replaced by Fernando Alonso the following year, before re-joining the grid in 2016 with Renault.
Magnussen's stay with the Enstone team also lasted only for one season, before he moved to Haas and remained a driver for four years.
After a year away in 2021, following the team's decision to replace the Dane and team-mate Romain Grosjean with rookies Mazepin and Schumacher, Magnussen is back for his third spell in the sport.
"I was obviously very surprised but equally very excited to receive the call from Haas F1 Team," the 29-year-old said.
"I was looking in a different direction regarding my commitments for 2022 but the opportunity to return to compete in Formula 1, and with a team I know extremely well, was simply too appealing.
"I really have to say thank you to both Peugeot and Chip Ganassi Racing for releasing me promptly – both are great organisations.
"Naturally, I also want to thank Gene Haas and Guenther Steiner for the chance to resume my Formula 1 career – I know just how competitive they both are and how keen they are to return to competing week in and week out.
"We've enjoyed a solid relationship and our positive association remained even when I left at the end of 2020. I've been briefed as much as possible on the development of the VF-22 and the potential in the package.
"There's work to do but I'm excited to be a part of it. I can't wait to get back behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car in Bahrain."
The news comes on the same day axed racer Mazepin took aim at his former employers for what he feels was unfair treatment.
"I learned about the firing the same time as it had been released to the press. I'm a young man at 23, and I was not ready for it," he said.
"I did not receive any hint, or any support to say 'you know, this is the decision we've taken, it's going to go live in 15 minutes, just be ready for it.'
"I had a lot of messages from people, and I just learned at the same time as everyone did.
"[Team boss Guenther Steiner] gave me no information about what decision the team is going to take, aside from the information that he has been giving my manager up to March 4.
"And then the press release came, I read it and found out that my contract had been terminated. But I did not speak to him personally.
"I haven't spoken to Guenther since I left Barcelona on the third day of testing."
