F1 driver Valtteri Bottas reveals he would like to try IndyCar racing sometime in the future after his F1 days come to a close.
Valtteri Bottas definitely feels F1’s calendar is reaching a limit with 24 races scheduled in the 2024 calendar. But the Finn has welcomed F1’s plans of racing in the USA 3 times.
The 2023 season sees F1’s return to Las Vegas. And Bottas, in a recent podcast with Kevin Clark, claimed he is excited to race under the neon light of the Las Vegas strip.
F1’s rise in popularity has rocketed in the US. Although racing and motorsports culture in the US is different from what it is in Europe, Bottas says “I like the atmosphere of American races.”
He added, “It feels like in the US, the organisers know how to entertain people. Like here it’s more than just a race. There are concerts and all kinds of activities.”
The 2022 US GP is a prime example of how the US audience prefers to watch its races. And the Finn believes he is attracted to the sport enough that he might even consider racing in IndyCar or NASCAR after his heydays in F1.
“It’s always a great atmosphere. And it is one of my favourite events of the year. So maybe someday I’ll be racing in the US.”
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Valtteri Bottas considering a future in IndyCar
Valtteri Bottas still feels he has some time left in F1. But the Finn revealed that racing in F1 is gruelling and if one feels a lack of motivation or is fed up with spending summers or weekends away from family, then they should move on from the sport.
To which Kevin Clark asked if he has thought about his racing career post-F1. To which the Finn replied, “I still have a few more years in F1. But I have thought about it. IndyCar is quite interesting”
He added, “It seems like a pretty cool series, the tracks there are nice. The racing seems really real and probably, from my understanding, a little less politics than in F1. It seems to be gaining popularity in Europe.”
A lot of former F1 drivers have made the shift across the pond in recent years. Fernando Alonso, Romain Grosjean, Marcus Ericsson, Alexander Rossi, and even Kevin Magnussen have tied their hand in IndyCar.
The Americas still seem to be a favourable destination for F1 drivers past their prime. And with the new crop of talent in IndyCar like Colton Herta, Alex Palou, the sport is also growing in regions like Europe.
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