Formula 1 and NASCAR are the two major motorsport series in the world. Therefore, they are likely to collide with drivers appearing at each other’s shore.
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While hardly any NASCAR drivers have raced in F1 lately, many former F1 drivers have crossed the Atlantic to race in the stock car race series. Jenson Button, Kimi Raikkonen, and Daniil Kvyat had appearances in NASCAR this year only.
However, a strange inclusion appeared this weekend. During the Martinsville race weekend, JJ Yeley, one of the renowned NASCAR drivers, was introduced as the 2009 F1 champion on the TV ticker. The mere misinformation left the fans in splits.
JJ Yeley 2009 F1 World Champion: Motorsport history redefined
Yeley, in 2009 was driving for Mayfield Motorsport in the cup series. But as per the live feed over the weekend, he is the F1 world champion, which Jenson Button actually won. If one thinks this major blunder would have gone unnoticed, then one couldn’t be any more wrong.
JJ Yeley F1 World Champion 🦊 pic.twitter.com/2ltOmq6veX
— Tyson Winter (@TysonWinter) April 15, 2023
No more JJ Yeley disrespect #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/5XvinaqEsQ
— dale tanhardt (Unretired NASCAR God) (@daletanhardt) April 15, 2023
Listen, I know a lot of these races and seasons run together. But I have no idea how I missed JJ Yeley’s F1 world championship. https://t.co/DKVXoSgg15
— Jenna Fryer (@JennaFryer) April 15, 2023
Still can’t believe he won a world championship in 09 while also filling in for the 41 of Mayfield motorsports after May. A true generational talent 🏁
— Steven (@svandez1234) April 15, 2023
The 2009 F1 champion actually raced in NASCAR
In 2023, Button returned to Motorsports when NASCAR made its trip to the Circuit of the Americas. Talking about his first outing in a race car, the 2009 F1 world champion claims he even forgot how to operate the car.
Nevertheless, he had a decent outing at COTA. The former F1 driver finished in the top 20 with a P18 result, which is impressive for someone who came in as a casual entry.
Well, this is not the first and last NASCAR outing by Button. He will participate in two more races this year. The next one will be in the inaugural Chicago street circuit, followed by an appearance in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course on 13 August.
