“A Lot of Politics”: Kyle Busch Feels F1 Drivers Can Drive in NASCAR But Not the Other Way Round

While both NASCAR and Formula 1 involve racecar driving at their core, that doesn’t mean that it’s easy for drivers to transition between these sports. At least, not for the ones in NASCAR. Recently, two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch detailed the issue during his recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.

Breaking down the differences, Busch explained that drivers in F1 could quite easily find a seat in NASCAR but that it wasn’t that easy a route for their North American counterparts. “So there’s a lot of politics, per se, that has to go into that in order to get over there,” he said.

“But then you have to have at least a 2-year runway of working through the license application program to prove that you’re worthy enough to drive a Formula One car. Those guys can come over here and jump into a NASCAR tomorrow. But not the same going the other way.”

Busch’s words came in response to a question about the possibility of him entering races in the IndyCar Series or the F1. He emphasized with his answer that he’d be open to doing so if it wasn’t so hard to enter.

Ironically, his opinion comes days after Formula 1 rejected Mario Andretti’s bid to create a U.S.-based team in the sport.

Does Kyle Busch hate Formula 1 for its reluctance to accept newness?

Though he isn’t particularly fond of how the European sanctioning body doesn’t make it easy for NASCAR drivers to get over the pond and race, Kyle Busch doesn’t hate F1 racing. He told the hosts of the show, “I love F1. I love those guys. I love watching it. I’m a fan of all forms of motorsports.”

His affinity, however, came with a slight caveat. He poked fun at how F1 racing was much more sophisticated than NASCAR and said, “When you go and do an F1 race, little dainty, tiny champagne glasses doing ‘dink,’ and making sure you keep your pinky up when you take a sip, you know? And we’re all about getting sloshed.”

Busch wasn’t also a big backer of watching one driver gather up most of the wins – like Max Verstappen has been doing of late in F1. Not surprisingly, he was all about the bumping and banging style of racing.

This inclination is precisely what has made him one of the faces of NASCAR.