Formula 1 is hanging out in the United States for the second running of the Miami Grand Prix as superstar drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc are looking to get back into victory lane. The race in Miami will mark Formula 1’s first of three races in the United States in 2023.
Earlier in the week, Alpine drivers Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon tried out RFK Racing’s NextGen cars at the Charlotte ROVAL and participated in some pit road challenges. It was a fun experience for everyone involved and the conversation made its way to Miami.
According to the Associated Press’ Jenna Fryer, Hamilton would “love to try” out NASCAR in the future. This shocking development came after Hamilton’s former teammate Jenson Button and retired Formula 1 champion Kimi Raikkonen competed at COTA earlier this year.
The Mercedes driver is arguably the greatest Formula 1 driver of all time and would be a fantastic grab for NASCAR. Obviously, Hamilton would likely only test or run a one-off race but it would still be a great clash of both worlds.
NASCAR and Formula 1 have started to come together more often since the introduction of the NextGen car. It is designed for road courses and allows drivers to truly be competitive due to the parity of the field.
If Hamilton were to try out NASCAR in the future for a one-off race, which teams would make the most sense for him? Continue reading to find out three NASCAR teams that would be a great fit for Hamilton!
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3 ideal teams that Lewis Hamilton could join in the NASCAR Cup Series
Hamilton could be making his way to a NASCAR race in the future and it certainly opens up more doors if it does happen. If so, there is one perfect team for the seven-time Formula 1 champion’s services and two more that also make sense.
23XI Racing only fields two full-time entries so they would be able to field a third or fourth entry for Hamilton. The team is led by NBA legend Michael Jordan and Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin, and both would likely be open to his interest.
The organization let Travis Pastrana drive its third entry in the 2023 Daytona 500 so this would not be new to everyone involved. If not 23XI Racing, there is another team that makes incredible sense for him.
Trackhouse Racing has PROJECT91 which allows international drivers a gateway to NASCAR. This is how Raikkonen actually competed in the NASCAR Cup Series and allowed him to race at Watkins Glen and COTA.
The No. 91 car focuses on road courses and that’s why it would be a perfect fit for Hamilton. The team is led by Pitbull and Justin Marks and has drastically improved the sport since it arrived for the 2021 season.
Finally, Rick Ware Racing would be another good option since they could do the same thing with Hamilton that has been done with Button. Stewart-Haas Racing could help with the program and allow the racing legend to have good equipment.
In fact, Hamilton drove Tony Stewart’s No. 14 car for a test run at Watkins Glen International about 11 years ago. This would not be the first time the two parties have worked together and would allow some familiarity if it were to take place.
There will be plenty of teams banging on Lewis Hamilton’s door if he wants to truly give NASCAR a go in the future. Hopefully, something can be worked out so we can see the Formula 1 legend be the next famous driver behind the wheel of a stock car.
Read More: Lewis Hamilton plans to stay with Mercedes ‘quite a while longer’