Formula One 2023: Lewis Hamilton keen to try NASCAR and IndyCar racing

Mercedes ace Lewis Hamilton has expressed interest in pursuing a career away from Formula One, though he would continue to live life in the fast lane.

MIAMI, FLORIDA – MAY 07: Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes walks out onto the grid prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Miami at Miami International Autodrome on May 07, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Lewis Hamilton says he would “love to try” both NASCAR and IndyCar “at some stage” but his immediate focus remains on Formula One.

The seven-time world champion is yet to extend his contract with Mercedes, though after a period of uncertainty around his future it feels like a matter of when and not if the two parties renew their long-running relationship.

Hamilton has eyes on winning a record eighth F1 world championship – but that hasn’t stopped him from taking an interest in other motorsport categories.

It’s been almost 12 years since he was involved in a car swap with former NASCAR champion Tony Stewart at Watkins Glen and Hamilton hasn’t forgotten that thrill.

Lewis Hamilton of England (R) takes pictures of Nascar driver Tony Stewart as he sits in the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-23 during the Mobil 1 Car Swap at Watkins Glen International on June 14, 2011. Picture: Getty Images for Mobil 1/AFP

“I’d love to try it (NASCAR) at some stage,” he said.

“It’s not a dream for me to go race another series, but I am an admirer, I’m a fan of racing and other sports. So I would like to try it.

“It’s an amazing opportunity. I got to swap with Valentino Rossi and try a MotoGP bike, and I sometimes watch IndyCar – I’d love to try one of those cars at some stage.

“I’m not a big fan of the big (cockpit head protection aero) screen that they have, but the cars sound and look good.”

Former F1 driver Romain Grosjean currently competes in IndyCar and Fernando Alonso has twice entered the category’s showpiece event, the Indianapolis 500.

But a Hamilton cameo would undoubtedly be the biggest the series has had.

Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes walks out onto the grid prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Miami at Miami International Autodrome. Picture: Getty Images

Unfortunately for NASCAR and IndyCar fans, a swap might not come anytime soon.

“Right now my focus is solely on Formula One and I don’t plan on leaving anytime soon,” Hamilton said.

His top agenda at the minute is helping to make Mercedes more competitive this season.

Hamilton is the only driver outside of Red Bull and Fernando Alonso to have stood on the podium so far this season.

But his runner-up in Melbourne ultimately did little to inspire confidence in the team’s early season running.

Mercedes currently sits third in the constructors’ championship and looks a long way off the pace set by front runners Red Bull.

It will introduce an upgrade package for the next race at Imola which the team hopes can cut into Red Bull’s ridiculous advantage over its would-be title rivals.

WHERE DID ALL THE TITLE CHALLENGERS GO?

As the Formula One world revels in the remarkable RB19 that Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez have piloted to five-straight race victories to open the 2023 season, Red Bull boss Christian Horner has been left wondering: “Where did Ferrari and Mercedes go?”

Red Bull’s would-be title rivals have been relegated to bit-part players in the season’s early running; Lewis Hamilton’s runner-up in Melbourne the only podium shared between Mercedes and Ferrari so far.

It has left Horner scratching his head – and he isn’t the only one.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff admits he doesn’t know what is wrong with the W14, while Ferrari drivers Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc say their race car is too “inconsistent” and “picky”.

For so long held up as the market leader in F1 engineering innovation, Mercedes’ inability to design a car capable of challenging Red Bull in the early stages of the cost cap era has shocked many, most of all Wolff.

“The car is not fast enough and we haven’t got any idea what that is. It’s just not acceptable,” he said.

“It’s worse than I ever thought it would be. It’s been 12 months since we were last in Miami and the car is slightly better.

“Our car is P1 or P2 in some practice sessions and then P6 and P13 in qualifying. That’s just unacceptable.”

Red Bull have totally dominated the opening of the 2023 season. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP)

Given Mercedes’ early season struggles, running fourth and sixth in Miami looks a decent result on paper. But when your best is only good enough to run behind an Aston Martin that is repeatedly 20-plus seconds off the pace of the Red Bulls, it puts things into perspective.

Red Bull anticipates its rivals will bring upgrade packages in coming races that will bridge the gap. But on lap times alone it would require Mercedes to make back almost half a second, and Wolff says that’s simply not possible.

“We need to manage our own expectations,” he said.

“We are bringing an update (to Imola) that’s going to consist of new suspension parts, bodywork and some other things. But I have never in my 15 years in F1 seen a silver bullet introduced, where suddenly you unlock half a second of performance. I very much doubt that this is going to happen here.”

The situation is even worse at Ferrari, where a serious tyre degradation problem has left both drivers feeling like they are unable to properly race other cars.

“You have very little flexibility because (if) you push one lap, you degrade (your tyres); (if) you go for an undercut, the race is too long. So it just means we cannot play around too much with our competitors in terms of strategy and level of pushing to overtake them,” Sainz said.

“It’s a very inconsistent car. It’s very picky. You’re driving properly on the limit or a knife’s edge, like we’ve seen all weekend, and this means in the race we pay the price.”

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff blasted the inconsistency of his team’s performance. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP)

While Verstappen started two places behind him in Miami, Charles Leclerc had to watch as the Red Bull flew past him to take the chequered flag while the Ferrari man was unable to make up any ground in the race.

He says the team still does not know how to convert its qualifying pace into a consistent car come race day.

“The window of our car is so narrow and when you get just a little bit out it has huge consequences.

“This is obviously not ideal to have confidence in the car – plus, I had a lot of bottoming (in the race) for some reason, which I don’t have an explanation (for) yet.

“The consistency is what we are lacking at the moment … we have a lot of work to do. We need to find something, now.”

While Horner seems adamant Red Bull will be caught at some stage this season, it would require Ferrari and Mercedes to properly diagnose their flaws and at this point, that still seems a long way off.

Right now the ‘Big Three’ is looking more and more like a ‘Big One’.

Originally published as Formula One 2023: Lewis Hamilton keen to try NASCAR and IndyCar racing