Some fans might look at NASCAR and Formula One as competitors but the two sports came together beautifully in 2018 thanks to the McLaren F1 team and Hendrick Motorsports. Jimmie Johnson and Fernando Alonso swapped their rides and took them for a spin around the Bahrain International Circuit on the day. It was a new experience for both race car drivers. The seven-time Cup Series champion seemed very pleased with his run as he compared his excitement to how he felt on Christmas morning as a kid.
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Fun fact everyone! Fernando Alonso was the last person to ever drive a Lowe's sponsored cup car! And the last track it ran at was the Bahrain International Circuit. This happened during the car swap between Jimmie Johnson and Fernando Alonso in 2018. pic.twitter.com/HIJ8sZBpkp
— 𝙅𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙖𝙣 𝙃. #𝘡𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘉𝘳𝘰 𝘚𝘡𝘕 (@jthamano) December 20, 2021
It was not smooth sailing for the now Legacy Motor Club owner right from the get-go. The open-wheel racer was way lighter and faster than what he was used to. When he hit fifth gear down the main straight at Bahrain, Johnsons’s NASCAR helmet was trying to come off his head owing to the aerodynamic drag it produced. Once such niggles were taken care of, the California native did not shy away from wringing the neck of the McLaren.
“The braking is just insane. I mean, you hit the brakes and you literally lose your vision at max G-force, it’s so high. And at the end of the braking zone, your vision comes back and your eyes focus and you can see the corner,” Johnson spoke of the car’s abilities.
On November 26,2018. Jimmie Johnson and Fernando Alonso performed a driver swap at Bahrain #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/JHY7qmIbRx
— Daniel Kriete (@DanielKriete4) November 26, 2022
The seven-time Cup Series champion even mentioned it on an earlier episode of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s podcast. At the time, he said that it was an experience unlike anything that he could describe. If he had not become a race car driver in NASCAR, Johnson might have tried his luck in Formula One.
Alonso impressed the seven-time Cup Series champion
Alonso was quite impressed with the seven-time Cup Series champion. Driving an F1 car is no easy task and Johnson did not take long to put in impressive lap times at the Bahrain International Circuit. “Impressive. I think he was really gaining time every run he was going out,” the two-time F1 world champion said.
Johnson was also impressed with how quickly Alonso adapted to his #48 Chevrolet Camaro. “Every time I saw him in the Cup car, the rear tires were smoking. Even on our little laps after for the cameras, I don’t think he was ever straight on any of those laps, either. So, he’s a very talented driver,” he said.
The Spaniard is considered to be one of the greatest race car drivers of all time. He has won two legs of the Triple Crown of Motorsports – the Monaco GP and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He has also participated in the famed Indy 500 but has not been able to take the checkered flag. The two-time Formula One world champion is currently driving in F1 for Aston Martin.
