Former F1 Champion Could Be in Line to Replace Aric Almirola in Tony Stewart’s NASCAR Team

The 2023 Cup Series will perhaps be one of the most uncertain seasons in the long-standing history of NASCAR. With the chain of events that have ensued from the beginning of the season, it has been almost impossible to ascertain who will be able to make it to the playoffs. Nevertheless, even with all the twists and turns of events, NASCAR fans have braced themselves for a tear-jerking end to the season—the reason being Stewart-Haas Racing’s Kevin Harvick.

The 2014 Cup Series champion is set to bid adieu to the world of racing and is slated to join the FOX booth as a NASCAR analyst. And with his retirement plans certain, Stewart-Haas Racing is already in the process of finding the next driver to take over Kevin Harvick‘s #4 Ford.

But the question that looms over Tony Stewart’s team is whether the #4 Ford Mustang will be the only car in need of a driver. Will the stakeholders also have to be in search of another driver to fill in the seat of Aric Almirola’s #10 Ford Mustang? And who will it be, if Almirola chooses to leave?

Is Aric Almirola finally bidding his adieu to the world of stock car racing, a year after the extension?

The speculations of Aric Almirola retiring from NASCAR stem from one apparent reason.

Mid-season last year, the #10 Ford driver announced that the 2022 Cup Series season would be his final one. He stated, “I want to be present. I want to be the best husband and father, and that to me means more than being a race-car driver. So, it’s one more year where I’m all-in on racing, where we’ll do whatever it takes to compete at the highest level. But when the season is over, I’ll be ready to wave goodbye. I’ve loved every minute of it, but it’s time for the next chapter of my life,” as his reasons for retirement.

But to everybody’s surprise, the driver did not retire, rather took a leap of faith and try his luck for another season, as he extended his contract with Stewart-Haas Racing. The extension of Almirola’s contract can be attributed to Smithfield, a food product giant and also Almirola’s primary sponsor. Almirola brought Smithfield along in 2018 when he switched over to SHR from Richard Petty Motorsports. And at the end of the 2022 season, SHR wanted to retain them as the sponsor of the #10 Ford, which led to the extension of Almirola’s contract.

He had revealed to Tampa Bay Times, “It was just a great opportunity for me to continue racing, and it was a family decision when I decided to retire, and it was very much so a family decision when I decided to go again.” However, it seems that the multi-year contract extension might come to an early end than expected as these ambiguous speculations are making rounds in the NASCAR paddock.

However, the obvious question that arises at this juncture is, if Aric Almirola decides to leave, who will be filling in the big shoes of Almirola? While it is rumored that Josh Berry is set to make his full-time Cup Series debut, replacing Kevin Harvick, no perceptible name has emerged as to who shall fill in place of Almirola, except one—Jenson Button.

While it might come as a surprise for many, the hints were conspicuous since the beginning of the season. Though there have many names, that have come up, the likes being Corey LaJoie, Michael McDowell, and even the names of veterans like Denny Hamlin. But none of the names have held any water to it due to the obvious reasons, age, and retirement possibilities of other teammates.

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Does Jenson Button make a suitable replacement for the camp of Stewart-Haas Racing?

And Jenson Button seems to be the better fit from quite a few vantage points.

One is that he is already slated to race in three of the NASCAR races. He already drove along with his former F1 rival, Kimi Raikkonen. Button is also scheduled to drive in NASCAR’s inaugural street course race at Chicago Street Race in July as well as at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in August. And for all the races, he has partnered up with Mobil 1 and Stewart-Haas Racing for marketing and promotional support.

Moreover, Mobil 1 happens to be a long-standing sponsor of Tony Stewart.

Secondly, Jenson Button’s recently debuted and outperformed all expectations at Le Mans, driving Garage 56’s “stock” car. The modified Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, driven by Button, Jimmie Johnson, and Mike Rockenfeller, delivered a spectacular performance. The car ran as high as 27th and also ran ahead of the entire GTE field, 20 hours into the race. With just 5 years of studying the nuances of stock car racing, the F1 champion surely stood up to the expectations of the fans as well as the team.

Another reason that could fan the speculations is NASCAR’s initiative to diversify the sport and attract more new audiences to the sport. And Jenson Button seems to be the best for it.

While these are all part of speculations that are brewing in the camps of NASCAR, there have been no official confirmations from the team or Jenson Button himself. And only time and the teams hold the answers to it.

Nevertheless, if the speculations turn out to be true, the world of NASCAR will surely be in for a big rejig and diversification. It is true that NASCAR and F1 are as different as Chalk and Cheese, but one thing that binds them together is the passion for motor car racing and the thrill of speed. As an F1 champion, these facts are surely appealing to Jenson Button. 

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