NASCAR great Kyle Larson gives honest opinion about F1
The current NASCAR points leader compares F1 to other championships in America.
NASCAR Cup Series star Kyle Larson has provided an honest opinion on what he thinks about Formula 1.
Larson is one of the most famous drivers in the US, having won the Cup Series title in 2021 and scored 32 victories in the championship since his debut in 2023.
This weekend, he is aiming to complete the gruelling ‘double’ by contesting both the Indy 500 race with Arrow McLaren and the Coca-Cola 600 in a Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet on the same day.
As a passionate fan of all forms of motorsport - he also regularly takes part in dirt races - Larson was asked what he thought of F1, a series that has previously struggled to establish a foothold in America.
While admitting that grand prix racing is not “super exciting”, certainly compared to the high-contact action in NASCAR, Larson was surprised to see how popular F1 is during a visit to Abu Dhabi for the controversial 2021 season finale.
“I went to Abu Dhabi in 2021,” Larson said on The Pat McAfee Show. “It was sick, like, the event was awesome. It was incredible. The racing is not what we are accustomed to in America.
“There, it’s crazy how big it is because it’s not super exciting, but I think it’s the stuff outside of it. The celebrities that are there, the engineering, the money. Just everything about that. You know, the big brands on the cars and stuff."
Larson interested in driving in F1
It would be difficult for a NASCAR driver to earn a super license and then be competitive in F1, given the difference in style of racing between the two series.
Larson proved his credentials in single-seater cars by finishing 18th on his Indy 500 debut this year, but the F1 calendar is made up entirely of street circuits and road courses.
That said, the 32-year-old said he would still love to sample F1 machinery if given a chance in the future.
"Never been asked to drive in F1, I think it’s tough coming from my background of dirt tracks and ovals,” he said.
I feel like NASCAR, IndyCar here in America, you can’t find much more exciting racing than what we have here. So, I’m fortunate to get to run both of them, but I would definitely never turn down the opportunity to go [race in F1]"
