5 F1 drivers who made the switch across the ocean to race in NASCAR
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F1 and NASCAR don’t share a lot in common when you look beneath the surface and the two racing disciplines don’t tend to share drivers. However, there have been some notable exceptions to this.
NASCAR is completely different from its single-seated cousins, featuring an entirely different set of specifications. Both racing series’ have different rules that govern their functioning, meaning that drivers from either discipline have to adjust their driving styles considerably to make sense of their new machinery.
NASCAR features 5.8-liter V8 engines, while modern F1 uses 1.6-liter V6 engines capable of producing nearly 1000 BHP. Moreover, NASCAR uses a different track design, race length, pit stops, and qualifying to the premiere single-seater sport.
Both Daniil Kvyat and Kimi Raikkonen will compete at the NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen this weekend.
Both Daniil Kvyat and Kimi Raikkonen will compete at the NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen this weekend. https://t.co/w94uoPp0TF
Most drivers are unable to find equal success in both categories of racing, with Mario Andretti being a notable exception to the rule. Let’s take a look at five drivers who entered NASCAR as Formula-style drivers.
5 drivers who went from F1 to NASCAR
#1 Kimi Raikkonen
NASCAR Cup Series Go Bowling at The Glen
The 2007 world champion, lovingly dubbed ‘The Iceman’, joined Trackhouse Racing’s Project 91 in 2022. He got behind the wheel of a Cup Series stockcar at the Go Bowling event at Watkins Glen but failed to impress in the new machinery.
The Finnish driver failed to finish at Watkins Glen and could only manage a 37th-place finish. Despite his wonderful result, the former Ferrari driver claims to have enjoyed his stint in the sport.
#2 Jacques Villeneuve
Red Bull man is the first Russian-born man to compete in any of NASCAR’s three touring series. However, the Russian failed to finish races at both Indianapolis and Charlotte, and is currently the only Russian to be in the sport after his country’s invasion of Ukraine last year. It will be interesting to see how the case for Russian athletes develops with time.
F1 and NASCAR certainly have their differences, with most drivers being unable to switch seamlessly between the two. It will be interesting to see if anyone on the current F1 grid makes their NASCAR debut anytime soon.
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