Formula 1 has welcomed drivers from different disciplines throughout its 75-year history, including sportscars, IndyCar and NASCAR.
Although many have struggled to convert their success from these championships into success at F1 level, some have gone on to win races including Mario Andretti and Juan Pablo Montoya.
You rarely see drivers make the switch these days given how limited the test is, with teams having to utilise mileage under the Testing of Previous Cars rules. This is what McLaren has done with IndyCar stars Patricio O’Ward and Alex Palou in recent years.
IndyCar is considered one of the closest relatives to F1 in terms of discipline along with Super Formula in Japan, which is why drivers can often switch between both and find some success easier than NASCAR or sportscars.
Discussing who they would love to see in the current IndyCar field on the F1 grid in the future on the Red Flags podcast, former driver and F1 analyst James Hinchcliffe has revealed he would like to see a star who has taken 31 victories so far.
James Hinchcliffe wants to see Josef Newgarden take on IndyCar
Hinchcliffe believes current the 2024 Indy 500 champion Josef Newgarden would be one of the best drivers because of how similar he is to Max Verstappen in one key area.
“Colton Herta, he’s tested with McLaren and they were impressed with him, Pato O’Ward is driving with McLaren, and then I’d love to see what Newgarden could do in a car because that guy operates at a very high level,” said Hinchcliffe.
“One of the things that we talk about with Verstappen is the reserve capacity he has when driving an F1 car. The mental capacity he has in reserve, on hand when he’s ten-tenths, flat out, managing tyres.
“It’s super tough to explain to anyone who’s never done it and to have the capacity to say ‘Hey, I don’t think Lando backed off in that yellow flag zone’ Are you kidding me? Josef is kind of similar, he’s an aggressive guy and could do well with the racecraft side of F1.”
Colton Herta was close to F1 seat before getting blocked by FIA
In 2022 AlphaTuari (now known as Racing Bulls) faced a dilemma after Pierre Gasly decided he wanted to leave the fold to join Alpine.
Although the team has a vast pool of rookie drivers, neither was considered to be ready for an early promotion. This is where Colton Herta came into the picture, having achieved success in his early IndyCar career, including a win at his second race.
At the time, Herta was 21 years old but did not possess the necessary points to qualify for a super licence. Under the rules, drivers must have at least 40 points accumulated in the last three years of competition.
Red Bull asked for an exemption from the FIA but this was ultimately refused, leading to Red Bull abandoning its efforts and thus any possibility of a seat soon. However, Herta could still join the grid after being heavily linked to Cadillac’s entry for the 2026 season.
Leave feedback about this