There have been a few Formula 1 drivers over the years that have tied their hand at NASCAR, even world champions.
Most recently, the stock car racing series saw the 2007 and 2009 F1 champions Kimi Raikkonen and Jenson Button come over to America and have a crack at the Cup Series.
Raikkonen made his NASCAR debut with Trackhouse Racing in the No. 91 car in 2022 at Watkins Glen, but retired from the race on lap 44. The Finn returned to the No. 91 the following year at the Circuit of the Americas, finishing in 29th.
Button made his first NASCAR appearance at COTA last year with Rick Ware Racing, finishing in 18th. The Brit got two more outings last season on the streets of Chicago and at Indianapolis, finishing in 21st and 28th respectively.
One of the most notable former F1 drivers to race in NASCAR was Juan Pablo Montoya, who competed in the Cup Series full-time between 2007 and 2013, winning two races in that time.
And following his departure from RB, Daniel Ricciardo is being heavily linked to move over to America and join the list of former F1 drivers to tackle NASCAR.
David Coulthard warns Daniel Ricciardo of NASCAR ovals after Juan Pablo Montoya failed to win on one
Damon Hill has predicted Ricciardo to move to NASCAR, but stated that the Aussie will need to have the desire to do it, which is certainly true.
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With road courses and lightning-fast ovals presenting an incredible challenge and unpredictable racing at such high speed, it will be difficult for Ricciardo to adjust to the series, particularly on the ovals.
In the case of Montoya, his two victories in NASCAR came at Sonoma in 2007 and at Watkins Glen in 2010, with the Colombian not winning a race on an oval in his seven seasons in the series.
And speaking on the Formula For Success Podcast, David Coulthard used this stat to warn Ricciardo about the challenge he will face if he does choose to move to NASCAR.
“We wish him well in whatever he chooses to do,” he said. “I definitely think doing the road courses will give him a sporting chance.
“I think the ovals are so… you’ve got to have done thousands of hours. If we look at Montoya who was able to win road courses in NASCAR, and I’m not aware that he ever won one of the ovals.
“The famous line of, I think it was Mario Andretti, that on the ovals: ‘there are those that have hit the wall and those who will hit the wall’, [it] was the very reason why I declined the opportunity to go and race in America at the end of my career.”
Juan Pablo Montoya made his return to NASCAR after 10 years in 2024
At the age of 48, Montoya made his comeback to NASCAR, 10 years after his last race, in a one-off appearance at Watkins Glen in September.
The Colombian, who now spends much of his time mentoring his son Sebastian Montoya in Formula 3, finished the race in 32nd after qualifying 34th.
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Following his departure from McLaren in F1 in 2006, Montoya moved to Chip Ganassi Racing in NASCAR, winning at Sonoma in his debut season, but had to wait three years for his next win.
Montoya achieved a best finish of eighth in the standings in 2009 before ending his full-time NASCAR assault and switched to IndyCar, where he achieved immediate success.
The Colombian finished runner-up in the standings in 2015, winning the Indianapolis 500 that season. Montoya left a full-time IndyCar seat the following year and went on to race the Grand Prix of Indianapolis and the Indy 500 in 2017, 2021 and 2022.