Kimi Raikkonen Ruthlessly Settles the NASCAR-F1 Debate in Mere 4-Words, Hours Before His COTA Return With Ross Chastain’s Team

The debate about which is the better sport between Formula 1 and NASCAR has been around for a great length of time. Both fan bases advocate that their form of racing is superior to the other. And there can surely be some biases there. But what’s better than getting feedback about NASCAR from a Formula 1 world champion?

This weekend’s race at the Circuit of The Americas will feature not one, but two former Formula 1 world champions. One is Kimi Raikkonen and the other is Jenson Button. Just hours before the race, the Iceman settled the NASCAR-F1 debate in just a couple of words.

Does Kimi Raikkonen enjoy NASCAR more than Formula 1?

Raikkonen highlighted the point of how fragile the F1 cars are when they come into contact with one another. The Finnish driver commented on how contacts are a lot more forgiving when it comes to NASCAR. He also appreciated the aggressive driving styles which go hand in hand while racing hard for a position. Raikkonen would be driving with Ross Chastain‘s team, Trackhouse Racing, in their Project 91 car.

As per Autosport.com, the 2007 F1 World Champion for Ferrari mentioned, “There are places you can overtake, and especially in F1, you don’t get a lot of circuits you can have a good race. People can actually overtake without the DRS, and it feels more like a normal older-style F1 racing.”

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The low-downforce stock cars used in NASCAR are significantly different from Formula 1 cars. It is the major shift in downforce that Formula 1 drivers have a tough time getting accustomed to. Since Raikkonen already drove in the Cup Series last season, it would be Button who needs to familiarize himself with completely new surroundings.

Raikkonen has a history with Circuit of The Americas

As we wait for the race to get underway this weekend, for Raikkonen, this track remains a memorable place. The 2018 Formula 1 race at COTA was the last instance when the Finn had won a race in his long and illustrious Formula 1 career. He had qualified in third place behind his then-Ferrari teammate, Sebastian Vettel. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton started in the pole position.

However, after Vettel received a grid penalty, Raikkonen was promoted to start from 2nd on the grid. Just as the race started, Hamilton tried to cut the Ferrari of Raikkonen off. Instead, the Finn managed to dive down the inside and took the lead of the race right after the first corner.

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After a successful two-stop strategy from Ferrari, Raikkonen maintained the lead, with RedBull’s Max Verstappen fending Hamilton off for second place. It was after 113 races that Raikkonen won another race in Formula 1. But as luck would have it, it would also be his last in the sport.

Which is your favorite memory of the Iceman?