McLaren CEO Reveals Talks With NASCAR Driver For F1 Test
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown has hinted at a potential F1 test for NASCAR driver Kyle Larson. Discussions are currently underway, and an official test could occur in the foreseeable future, according to Brown's recent appearance on "Kevin Harvick's Happy Hour" podcast.
Brown made it clear that negotiations involving Kyle Larson testing a Formula 1 car are progressing, albeit slowly due to logistical challenges posed by overlapping racing schedules. The McLaren chief explained:
"Yeah, we've been chatting about it.
"Kyle, as you can imagine, definitely wants to do it in between our schedule, which goes from February to December, and NASCAR's schedule, which I think is what, February to November. Finding that window. We did that with Jimmie Johnson and Fernando in Bahrain with Hendrick Motorsport. That must have been about four to five years ago, and that was a lot of fun.
"So I'd like to see Kyle in an F1 car. It is something that we've discussed and something that I do think will happen down the road."
Larson is widely regarded as one of the best drivers across multiple racing disciplines. This versatility is precisely why Brown and McLaren have shown interest in allowing Larson to test his mettle behind the wheel of an F1 car. Larson himself exudes confidence, even making bold comparisons to F1's Max Verstappen.
"I know in my mind I am better than him as an all-around driver.
"There's no way [Verstappen] can get into a Sprint Car and win the Knoxville Nationals. There's no way he can go win the Chili Bowl. There's no way he can go win a Cup race at Bristol.
"There's probably no way I can go win a Formula 1 race at Monaco, but I think I'd have a better shot at him (doing what he does than him doing what I do) just because of the car element. That's what gives me ease and confidence that, like, I know I'm better than him. Maybe not in an open-wheel IndyCar or Formula 1 car, but that's one discipline. I think I would beat him in everything else. You can quote that."
Larson also recently revealed that he will be attempting 'The Double' in 2025 - the Indianapolis 500 as well as the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. Speaking about the ambitious challenge, the driver commented, as Newsweek Sports previously reported :
"I wanted to do the double I didn't get to do. Really, everybody involved wanted to see it happen as well. Glad we get to run through it again.
"I wouldn't do it if I didn't feel like I had the opportunity to win both races. I know that's a very difficult task but I know it can be done, especially being with a team like Arrow McLaren and Hendrick Motorsports.
"I love to race and I love to compete in big events. Had it gone perfect logistically and all that, I think I would still want to do it for sure because I wouldn't have won the Indy 500. I would like the chance to someday win it.
"It's not a different style of race, so I feel very experienced there and I feel like someday I could win, so, just the stars have to align."
