McLaren boss Brown reveals F1 test talks for NASCAR ace Larson

Kyle Larson could be set for a Formula 1 test outing after McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown revealed talks have been held with the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion.

Larson, who recently compared his qualities to those of three-time world champion Max Verstappen, already has ties to McLaren after making his IndyCar debut at this year’s Indianapolis 500.

Driving with his regular NASCAR Cup team Hendrick Motorsports and the Arrow McLaren IndyCar team, he qualified fifth and was running solidly in the top ten until a speeding penalty on his final stop thwarted his efforts.

It has now been announced that Larson will return to the Indy 500 with Arrow McLaren in 2025.

In an interview with retired NASCAR driver Kevin Harvick on his podcast “Happy Hour,” Brown indicated that a test for Larson is something he “would love to see.”

“We talked about it,” Brown noted.

“Kyle, as you can imagine, absolutely wants to do it between our schedule, which runs February through December, and NASCAR’s schedule, which runs February through November.

“Finding that window – we did that with Jimmie Johnson and Fernando (Alonso) in Bahrain with Hendrick Motorsports (in 2018). That was a lot of fun.

Kyle Larson, Arrow McLaren/Rick Hendrick Chevrolet

Photo by: Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Images

“I would love to see Kyle in an F1 car. It’s something we’ve discussed and something I think will happen in the future.”

Patricio O’Ward, a regular driver for the Arrow McLaren IndyCar team, has taken part in Formula 1 training sessions for McLaren at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix for the past two seasons.

The ride swap Brown referenced with Alonso and Johnson, who later raced in IndyCar with Chip Ganassi Racing, resulted in the seven-time Cup champion driving a 2013 MP4-28 while Alonso drove Johnson’s No. 48 Gen-6 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.

Brown noted that two-time Grand Prix winner Oscar Piastri has expressed interest in NASCAR and may be interested in participating in a trade.

“Oscar came to me briefly because of his enthusiasm for NASCAR, so if we were to do something with Kyle and one of our Formula 1 drivers, it would probably be Oscar,” Brown said.

He also discussed the possibility of McLaren one day competing in the Daytona 500 on Harvick’s podcast, saying “that would be pretty cool.”