Kevin Harvick thinks NASCAR’s Kyle Larson could give F1 champion Max Verstappen a run for his money – and he wants to see them go head-to-head.
The NASCAR veteran isn’t shy about backing Larson’s talents against the three-time F1 world champion. He’s even said Larson would adapt to Formula 1 faster than Verstappen could figure out stock car racing.
But that hasn’t stopped Harvick from dreaming about seeing Verstappen take on NASCAR’s best at its biggest race.
Thanks to a new rule change, it’s actually possible. NASCAR now allows drivers from other series to compete through something called the “Exemption Provisional” rule.
“I would love to see the Max Verstappen-type situation at the Daytona 500,” Harvick says. He’s particularly excited about the possibility of Red Bull getting involved. “Whatever the sponsor is, it is as important as anything else, because you want them to be behind the activation and promotion of what happens.”
Harvick’s pretty confident about how things would play out if the two drivers switched series. Last season, he made his thoughts crystal clear:
“I truly believe that our drivers make a better transition into IndyCar and F1,” he said. “If we sent Kyle Larson and sent him to a Red Bull car right now, I think he’d go wheel-to-wheel with Max Verstappen. It wouldn’t take him long to figure it out.”
But Verstappen? Harvick thinks he’d have a tougher time adjusting to NASCAR’s unique challenges.
“If you flipped that switch and you sent Max to a stock car, I think it would take a lot longer.”
The ball’s in Verstappen’s court now. Will the F1 champ ever take on the challenge of NASCAR’s most prestigious race?
