Tony Stewart is no stranger to Formula 1. “Smoke” previously drove Lewis Hamilton’s McLaren F1 car in 2011 as part of a promotional event with sponsor Mobil 1. In the collaboration, the two drivers swapped cars, with Hamilton behind the wheel of Stewart’s No. 14 Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevrolet Impala at Watkins Glen International, and the Indiana native driving the MP4-23. Despite the challenging track conditions due to rain, both drivers enjoyed the experience, while fans were thoroughly entertained by the crossover.
Despite the success of the partnership, Tony Stewart has no plans to drive a Formula 1 car again. Speaking on the Pat McAfee Show, the four-time Cup Series winner gave a hilarious response when asked about his ambition in the sport.
For many, driving a Formula 1 car is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. However, when it comes to Tony Stewart, the 53-year-old has been there and done that in his illustrious career. He is the only driver in history to have won championships in both NASCAR and IndyCar while securing race wins in midget, sprint, and USAC Silver Crown cars as well. Known for his sarcastic sense of humor and hot temper, Stewart is now semi-retired from motorsports and is currently competing for Tony Stewart Racing on behalf of his pregnant wife, Leah Pruett.
When asked if he has ever raced in Formula 1 during the Pat McAfee show, Tony Stewart replied, “I’ve driven an F1 car. I’ve driven Lewis Hamilton’s car, we did a seat swap. He drove the Cup car for four laps, I drove the Formula 1 car for four laps.” Stewart was asked if he would be able to drive the F1 car again, if he so wished, to which the 53-year-old sarcastically replied, “I weigh too much to race with those skinny guys. I’m not going on a diet.”
Formula 1 is quite a demanding sport, which is why drivers are expected to weigh in the region of 161 pounds. Carrying extra weight can slow the car down, and the equipment worn by racers can weigh up to 15 pounds as well. A single pound can make all the difference in a race result, and teams are always looking for ways to shave off even one-tenth of a second if possible. While Tony Stewart’s tongue-in-cheek comment may have been sarcastic, there is some truth behind his logic that weight is an important factor in competing in F1.
If Stewart ever wants to drive another F1 car, all he needs to do is give Gene Haas a call. The two have been working together as co-owners of Stewart-Haas Racing since 2009, but the team is set to cease its NASCAR operations at the end of the 2024 season. Gene Haas owns the Haas F1 team, which has recently made changes in their setup by relieving team principal Guenther Steiner and appointing Ayao Komatsu instead. While Stewart may be past his prime to compete for an entire season in Formula 1, it’s not beyond the realm of possibility for him to feature in the car for a one-off event.
Stewart recalls his experience of driving an F1 car
Despite having achieved it all, driving a Formula 1 car would have undoubtedly been a major milestone in Tony Stewart’s illustrious career. Both Tony Stewart and Lewis Hamilton were driving at Watkins Glen International with wet weather tires, and it didn’t take long for the NASCAR driver to come to grips with the F1 car. Stewart has had plenty of experience with open-wheelers throughout his career, but driving a car that is considered to be the pinnacle of motorsports was an experience he will never forget.
Amazed at the brakes and the downforce, Tony Stewart said, “That’s one of the coolest experiences of my life right there.” He went on to say, “To do this with Lewis Hamilton was amazing. He is absolutely an amazing person. His racing record speaks for itself, but to talk to him without media, without cameras, was such a great opportunity. Lewis went five seconds faster than me in my car, and I went eight seconds faster than him in his car… on wet tires.”
While Tony Stewart may not be in the mood for another Formula 1 adventure, the 53-year-old is engaged in open-wheel racing in the National Hot Rod Association. Fans will hope that the former IndyCar Series champion changes his mind in the future and collaborates with Gene Haas to get behind the wheel of an F1 car once again. It may have been the “opportunity of a lifetime” for Tony Stewart, but now that the dream has transformed into a reality, the 53-year-old will move on to different adventures in the twilight of his racing career.
