Miami Gardens, Fla. — Seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton says he would like to try NASCAR some day but doesn’t see it happening soon.
“I did a car swap with Tony Stewart years ago, which was fun,” Hamilton said Thursday afternoon ahead of this weekend’s Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix around the home stadium of the Miami Dolphins.
“I’d love to try it at some stage. 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.”
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Hamilton and Stewart swapped cars in 2011 at Watkins Glen.
“I just feel like a kid today,” Hamilton said in 2011 after driving Stewart’s car.
If Hamilton does run in NASCAR some day, he would follow other F1 champions who have tried Cup, including a pair this season.
Former F1 champions Kimi Raikkonen and Jenson Button both competed in the Cup race at Circuit of the Americas earlier this season. Button placed 18th; Raikkonen 29th.
That was Raikkonen’s second Cup race with Trackhouse Racing’s Project 91 car. The 2007 F1 champion made his Cup debut last year with the team at Watkins Glen.
Button, the 2009 F1 champion, is scheduled to run three Cup races this season. COTA was his first series start. He is slated to race July 2 on the Chicago street course and Aug. 13 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course for Rick Ware Racing. Button also will drive the Garage 56 NASCAR entry at Le Mans in June.
But Hamilton didn’t stop with NASCAR on Thursday. He expressed an interest in other forms of racing some day.
“I’d love to swap with Valentino Rossi and try Moto GP,” said Hamilton, who wore blue pants and a blue shirt that both featured red and white stripes in a nod to racing in the U.S. this weekend. “I sometimes watch IndyCar and would love to try one of those at some stage. But right now my focus is solely on Formula One, and I don’t plan on leaving anytime soon.”
Hamilton’s contract with Mercedes expires after this season. The 38-year-old stated to ESPN that he considers himself to be “in my prime.”
Hamilton’s 103 Formula One victories are a series record, but he hasn’t won since Dec. 5, 2021, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Mercedes’ car hasn’t been as strong since and Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen has won the past two world championships. Verstappen leads the standings heading into Sunday’s race, while Hamilton is fourth.