As Daniil Kvyat prepares to make his NASCAR debut, here’s a look at 5 other current or former Formula 1 stars who took a stab at the series.
Kvyat will this weekend make his NASCAR debut in the NASCAR Cup, racing at the famous Indianapolis circuit with Team Hezeberg, but he’s not the first to try stock cars and single seaters.
5. Scott Speed
With a name built for going fast, Scott Speed sadly never made the grade in F1, and like Kvyat represented Toro Rosso. Unlike Kvyat, Speed didn’t last too long, racing just 28 times over two years, before being replaced in 2008.
📸 Speed with Toro Rosso.
Upon his F1 departure, Speed found himself in his homeland again, joining the NASCAR series and faring…not much better. The American lasted 6 years however in the series, winning a single truck race, but made a name for himself as an able competitor.
📸 Speed as a NASCAR star.
4. Lewis Hamilton(sort of)
While Hamilton has become a huge F1 success story, he did once sample NASCAR machinery, when he drove Tony Stewart’s car in 2011 while in the US with McLaren at Watkins Glen. On the same day, Stewart in turn had a shot of Hamilton’s McLaren machine.
📸 Hamilton and Stewart swap cars at Watkins Glen.
Hamilton is yet to try NASCAR again, but never say never right…?
📸 Hamilton has achieved success since his early days at McLaren.
3. Juan Pablo Montoya
This one is not a surprise to anyone, as even now Montoya continues to race in several disciplines, including sports cars at prestigious Le Mans, and IndyCar at the equally prestigious Indy 500. Prior to this, Montoya joined NASCAR after he ended his time in F1.
📸 Montoya starred in the early 2000’s but a drivers championship eluded him as he battled with Michael Schumacher.
Racing in NASCAR’s various divisions, Montoya enjoyed varied success over nine years, winning on a handful of occasions, and competing near the front regularly.
📸 Montoya rolls down pit road in his #42 car.
2. Jacques Villeneuve
1997 F1 World Champion Villeneuve divided opinion among many and continues to, but there is absolutely no doubt on how fast he was on his day. Taking 11 wins from his first two years in F1 with Williams, and a championship, Villeneuve looked destined for greatness but slowly faded away from the front of the field at the 2000’s neared. Despite this, the Canadian remained in F1 until 2006, having represented Williams, British American Racing(BAR), Renault and Sauber.
📸 Villeneuve celebrates his 1997 Austrian Grand Prix victory.
Villeneuve raced in NASCAR on occasions between 2007 and 2014, but failed to win on any outings, but proved he could still compete. As Euro NASCAR became prominent, Villeneuve was at the forefront, winning twice in his 23 races. As the 2022 NASCAR Cup approaches, Villeneuve finds himself in the series again, representing the same team that Kvyat will debut with.
📸 Sporting ‘less hair’, Villeneuve still makes his presence known.
1. Kimi Raikkonen
Despite his short two race stint in NASCAR, Kimi Raikkonen made a name for himself and remains possibly the highest ever profile driver to race in the series. The 2007 F1 World Champion made his mark on F1 in a career spanning almost two decades as he featured for Sauber(Alfa Romeo), McLaren, Ferrari and Lotus between 2001 and 2021, minus a two year hiatus.
📸 Kimi raced largely for Ferrari during his F1 career, winning 9 races for the team.
In 2011, while enjoying time away from F1, Kimi debuted in NASCAR, racing once each in the Truck Series and the Nationwide Series, finishing 15th and 27th respectively. Kimi like Kvyat and Villeneuve is also racing in the NASCAR Cup this weekend as he races for the first time since last season F1 finale in Abu Dhabi.
📸 Kimi looks out at the NASCAR crowds who flocked to see him.
📸 Image credit(s): ESPN, Williams Racing, Alpha Tauri, Scuderia Ferrari, NASCAR, Team Hezeberg.
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