Moments after admitting he was trying to get Kyle Larson to test drive his McLaren F1 car, team CEO Zak Brown further admitted that his own Oscar Piastri was interested in Larson’s motorsport home: NASCAR.
Speaking on Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour podcast, the American businessman sparked excitement and speculation by mentioning the Australian’s name in the conversation.
Brown has been vocal about his desire to see McLaren make an impact in NASCAR, potentially starting with a run in the prestigious Daytona 500. He’s taking the possibility seriously, having already partnered with Hendrick Motorsports, which is known for its dominance in NASCAR.
“I would like to have a relationship with [Rick Hendrick’s] “I’ll be on this team forever because they’re awesome,” Brown said.
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Oscar Piastri, who is currently in his second year in F1, has admitted his interest in stock car racing. Keen to follow in the footsteps of fellow F1 drivers like Kimi Raikkonen and Kamui Kobayashi, who have themselves made the transition to stock car racing, the Australian is now known for his enthusiasm for NASCAR.
“Oscar seems to be [the driver for Daytona 500]. I mean they both love to drive whatever they want. But Oscar has kind of knocked on my door about his enthusiasm for NASCAR. So I think if we were going to do something with Kyle and one of our Formula 1 drivers, it would probably be Oscar.
I have a lot of questions about the potential line-up of the McLaren team for the Daytona 500. Will it be Piastri who takes the wheel, or one of the American stars of the Arrow-McLaren single-seater? There is also the possibility that Lando Norris, another McLaren F1 driver, will take up the challenge.
Complicating matters further could be Daniel Ricciardo, a veteran Australian F1 driver. Ricciardo, known for his historical interest in NASCAR (he once drove Dale Earnhardt’s 1984 Chevrolet Monte Carlo), could also be a potential driver for the seat.
Although he is currently uncertain about extending his contract with the VCARB F1 team beyond the end of this season, he has often spoken of a move to NASCAR.
“Would I like to compete? Yes and no,” he said. “I also know it’s not what I was taught to do growing up and I’d probably get smoked. I don’t know if I need it, but I’d love to experience it.”
Currently, Ricciardo is heading into 2025 without a contract. And with his seat coveted by Red Bull reserve driver Liam Lawson, it could even be this weekend, at the Singapore Grand Prix, that Ricciardo’s future in the sport is confirmed. After struggling to keep up with teammate Yuki Tsunoda, that wouldn’t be a surprise.
