With the NASCAR season complete and the Formula 1 calendar winding down, it’s time for an offseason tradition: wishful thinking about world-class drivers switching disciplines for fun.
Fernando Alonso might have kicked this wishful thinking into high gear by dabbling in IndyCar, IMSA and the World Endurance Championship, but former F1 stars from Juan Pablo Montoya to Nelson Piquet Jr. have previously made full-time commitments to NASCAR. And with F1 streaming popularity in the US at an all-time high thanks to the influence of Netflix’s Drive to Survive, it may be time for another…
Or at least a one-off with Trackhouse Racing’s PROJECT91, like Kimi Raikkonen had at Watkins Glen. So, without further ado, here are the F1 drivers we’d most like to see give NASCAR a shot.
Daniel Ricciardo
While the most open NASCAR fan on the F1 grid all but ruled out a full-time move to NASCAR earlier this year while speaking to Insider, the Australian did mention that a one-off road course appearance wouldn’t be the last thing on his mind.
Ricciardo has been a fan of NASCAR and Dale Earnhardt Sr. since his childhood, and chose No. 3 as his racing number for that reason. Ricciardo also turned laps in Dale Sr.’s 1984 Chevrolet Monte Carlo during the 2021 United States Grand Prix weekend at the Circuit of the Americas.
Ovals or not, Ricciardo has caught the NASCAR bug.
It’s written across @danielricciardo‘s face just how much he enjoyed driving his hero Dale Earnhardt’s iconic 1984 Chevrolet 😍
And, this message from the legend’s son @dalejr meant even more ❤️#USGP 🇺🇸 #F1 pic.twitter.com/OOmDYnXouG
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 24, 2021
Fernando Alonso
Why shouldn’t the two-time World Champion add to his illustrious resume with a turn in tin-tops? After a 2018 seat swap saw Alonso wheel a Cup car around Bahrain’s F1 venue, everyone from McLaren CEO Zak Brown to seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson called on Alonso to give stock cars a serious try.
With a second retirement likely after the Spaniard’s new multi-year deal with Aston Martin runs its course, we’d love to see Alonso Stateside again. And so would Jeff Gordon.
Sebastian Vettel
Although the four-time World Champion will be leaving the F1 grid at the end of the 2022 season, we can hold out hope that we’ll see Seb on the track somewhere, right?
Though the German has followed an open-wheel career trajectory, he has represented his country at the Race of Champions on…
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