Has Lewis Hamilton Ever Raced in NASCAR?

Building a legendary history in F1 does not seem to be enough for the British racer. The North American category is a goal he is yet to fulfil.

Whenever we do something that we love, it feels like we cannot get enough of it. We come home after a pleasant trip thinking of more places to visit. We finish a glass of wine thinking of other varieties to try. We end a date with that special someone while thinking of when the next one will happen, and so on. It is natural that this feeling would apply to sports too.

The fact that Lewis Hamilton has built a legendary career in F1 allows us to assume that he likes racing, right? A little bit, at least. Therefore, we can assume that he would be interested in other racing categories as well. The truth is that we are right – Hamilton would love to get a seat in other race vehicles someday. One of them is NASCAR, which we will analyze here.

Lewis Hamilton in NASCAR

A few years ago, the British champion expressed his interest in competing in a NASCAR race. That came from a time when he went to Florida in order to see Jeff Gordon’s last race in that category. They have mutual admiration and keep in touch after each race, according to him. Hamilton also told the press that he would not drive at an oval, but a street or road circuit.

Now, that should definitely not be a problem. We are sure that NASCAR teams would love to have such a pilot even for one race, especially in the circuits Hamilton said he would prefer. Besides that, competing in different categories was common among the greatest drivers of yore; it is a beautiful way to become even better. And yet, we have never seen that happen.

Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes-Benz

The main explanation to all that comes from the fact that Lewis Hamilton is a professional driver. He has to respect contractual obligations with Mercedes-Benz and the F1 team, and that impacts some of his activities even outside the F1 environment. In short, the German team does not supply engines to any NASCAR team, let alone compete in that category itself.

In other words, the Mercedes-AMG Petronas team has no official connections whatsoever with NASCAR as of now. From an official point of view, Hamilton is a stranger to the current teams just like you and I. And even though it would be the dream of pretty much every fan, racing teams do not just let anyone go for a spin in their cars. Let alone in an official race.

Will Lewis Hamilton ever race in NASCAR?

The answer has a good part and a bad part. The good one is that now we know what barrier is in place. The Haas team, for example, is in a different situation because it has a branch in each of those categories. If Mercedes-AMG Petronas ever takes interest in NASCAR as well, it would be in a similar situation and the path would be clear for Hamilton to fulfil his wish.

The bad part is that there are no indications that such a move will happen in the foreseeable future. The German team is extremely satisfied with Hamilton’s current performance in the F1, so moving him to NASCAR would make no sense. A much more realistic scenario would be to have Mercedes-AMG Petronas sign a contract of engine supplies with a NASCAR team.

Why would I want to race in NASCAR?

Automotive racing has fascinated car fans for decades. Not only because of the excitement of winning against tough competitors, but also because of all the skills involved in this sport. Racing teams must bring their very best, so they invest millions of dollars to improve their cars every season, to get access to the best materials, and to hire and keep the best drivers.

Another important side of racing is that it encourages automakers to research new products and technologies. Once they prove themselves at the race track, it is easy for the automaker to trickle it down to its urban cars. It is very common that modern-day sedans and SUVs use items that first appeared in F1 cars. Mercedes-AMG Petronas is surely no exception to that.

The best of racing in your car

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