NASCAR superstar Kyle Larson has admitted that he’s love a chance to drive a Formula 1 car should the opportunity ever present itself.

Larson is one of the established front-runners of America’s premier category of racing, and has previously suggested he’d have the edge over four-time F1 champ Max Verstappen.

Kyle Larson would ‘never turn down the opportunity’ to drive an F1 car

The 2021 Cup Series winner has extensive experience outside the tin-top category, racing in IndyCar alongside frequent Sprintcar competitor.

The 32-year-old has also been linked with a drive in the Australian Supercars category in a wildcard entry following a speedway appearance in Adelaide last year.

However, despite his experience across an array of machinery, he’s never driven an F1 car.

“Never been asked to drive in F1,” Larson admitted on The Pat McAfee Show.

“I think it’s tough coming from my background of dirt tracks and ovals.”

Larson has forged his career racing stateside, rising through the ARCA series, Trucks, and Xfinity before graduating to NASCAR’s top flight at the end of 2013, winning his first race with Chip Ganassi at Michigan in 2016.

He’s also competed in sportscars, winning the 24 Hours of Daytona alongside Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan, and Jamie McMurry in 2015.

Last year, he made his debut in the Indianapolis in an Arrow McLaren/Rick Hendrick entered car. The 32-year-old will this weekend line up for his second berth in the event.

Even still, the 32-time Cup series race winner is open to an opportunity behind the wheel of an F1 car.

“I went to Abu Dhabi in 2021; it was sick,” he said.

“Like, the event was awesome. I mean, it was incredible.

“But yeah, the racing – the racing is not what we are accustomed to in America.

“It’s crazy how big it is because, like, it’s not super exciting, but I think it’s the stuff outside of it – the celebrities that are there, the engineering, the money, just everything about that, you know? The big brands on the cars and stuff.

“But you know, I feel like NASCAR and IndyCar here in America – like you can’t find much more exciting racing than what we have here,” he added.

“I’m fortunate to get to run both of them, but I would definitely never turn down the opportunity to go and try it.”

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But though he’s never sampled F1 machinery, Larson has suggested he’s got the measure of Verstappen.

“I know in my mind I am better than him as an all-around driver,” Larson claimed last August.

“There’s no way [Verstappen] can get into a Sprintcar 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 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.”

With links to McLaren through his IndyCar efforts, Zak Brown could hold the keys to making Larson’s F1 aspirations a reality.

“We’ve been chatting about it,” Brown admitted on The Happy Hour Podcast.

“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 is February to November.

“Finding that window – we did that with Jimmie Johnson and Fernando [Alonso] in Bahrain with Hendrick Motorsports [in 2018]. That was a lot of fun.

“I’d love to see Kyle in an F1 car; it is something that we’ve discussed and something I think will happen down the road.”

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