Sports can bring people closer. And, in NASCAR’s association with Formula 1, racing brought upon mutual respect and admiration. This is despite some differences in the two race car sports. The cars, the rules, the tracks, and the exposure are different, but one thing is common: racing. And maybe it’s that passion that drives the drivers to yearn for swaps and sometimes even hop over. But what’s more iconic than the swap between NASCAR legend Jimmie Johnson and F1 superstar Fernando Alonso?

A fun fact? They didn’t even meet each other first on the NASCAR Media Tour of January 2018. They met in a video game, a NASCAR video game, to be precise, in the early 2000s (around 2001-2003). Alonso kept choosing Johnson and his car. However, over the years, Alonso’s admiration for JJ moved beyond his car. With such a history, won’t you say they weren’t destined for the swap that happened in November 2018 in Bahrain? It’s important to note here that this is not the only swap that has happened in the F1-NASCAR history, and we will give you a glimpse of the other iconic swaps as well.

Fernando Alonso was in Charlotte on the NASCAR Media in January 2018, where the idea of the swap was first conceived. He was eyeing media opportunities on his way to IMSA’s Rolex 24 endurance race at Daytona. Since the respect between Jimmie Johnson and a two-time champ on the Grand Prix circuit, Fernando Alonso was mutual, the swap became inevitable.

So on December 26, 2018, when the NASCAR champ sat in the McLaren MP4-28, the world stopped for a second. At the same time, Fernando Alonso got into the #48 Chevy Camaro he loves picking in his NASCAR video games. Talk about dreams coming true?

The Bahrain International Circuit was making history in those seconds, on the 3.363-mile course.

Jimmy Johnson’s Instagram shared the thrill of the race, the responsiveness, and the G-forces produced by Formula 1 cars that day. “The braking point is so late in @F1, it’s insane. The G Forces from hitting the brakes so hard actually make your eyes lose focus and vision go blurry 😳 Unreal feeling #JJxALO”

His family was there watching him make the 28 laps—his two daughters, Genevieve and Lydia, and his wife, Chandra. As per an ESPN report, after multiple tries, Johnson was able to achieve a lap time within 0.2 seconds of Alonso’s record in a 2013 McLaren F1 car. He said, “I got my helmet more under control, and then it was really my eyes trying to find their way far enough ahead and far enough around the turns,” Johnson told ESPN. “At the end, I really quit focusing on the braking markers themselves and was able to look at the apex and had an idea of when to hit the brakes and was putting together some good laps. It was fun.”

His car was a 2013 F1 model that featured a temporary windscreen designed to improve the airflow around Johnson’s helmet following a test drive. Alonso told ESPN that Johnson’s effort was impressive. “I think he was really gaining time every run he was doing, and sometimes you put new tires on these cars for the very first time and you are not able to extract the grip because you miss a little bit the braking point here and there, or maybe you don’t maximize the grip available. But he was able to guess this extra grip that the new tires are giving to you and extract that grip into lap time, so I was very impressed with that.”

Jimmie Johnson watched Fernando Alonso secure 11th in his final F1 race, won by Lewis Hamilton, marking the end of Alonso’s 17-year full-time F1 career. During the swap, Alonso adapted to the V-8-powered Chevy, enjoying the challenge of driving without downforce. Though there was no live footage, observers noted his skillful drifts and controlled slides through the corners.

“I think I was very far away from a very good lap,” Alonso told ESPN. “It was still not very clear to me what is the best way to perform a lap. I found a lot of problems with braking because the car has very poor retardation because of the weight of the car and the steel brakes. They behave differently compared to the ones I am used to, and traction, these tires with the amount of power that those cars have. Didn’t know if it was better to go full throttle and spin the tires and really move forward or control with the throttle and maybe lose a little bit of performance on exit.”

The F1 cars are lighter and have better aerodynamics since they are open-wheen drives, made ground up for short races. On the other hand, it is believed that there is more strategy involved in NASCAR racing. Johnson told ESPN, “Our cars are heavy and have a high roll center. So when you can put them on a banked track they have a chance to shine.” He wanted Alonso to have a proper NASCAR experience. “He didn’t get a fair shake of experiences today. Dover, Bristol, even some of the banked mile-and-a-halfs, it would impress him,” Johnson said. Alonso didn’t seem keen.

The other swaps between F1 and NASCAR

In 2011, another iconic duo swapped their cars: Lewis Hamilton and Tony Stewart. Even after more than 13 years, the moment is etched in our brains. The collaboration was a result of SHR and McLaren’s partnership with Mobil1. In the promotional event, the two drivers were invited to switch cars.

During the event, Lewis Hamilton piloted Tony Stewart’s No. 14 Chevrolet Impala, featuring Mobil1 and Office Depot branding. On the other hand, Stewart drove Hamilton’s McLaren MP4-23. The track conditions weren’t conducive—it was rainy. However, our racers truly enjoyed the experience. It’s important to note here that crossover events like this were relatively uncommon at this time. And also McLaren had made the F1 car for Stewart to Stewart’s liking.

In a recent conversation with Motor Sport magazine, Tony Stewart spoke about his car swap with Hamilton: “They asked me if I’d be interested. I said, Am I interested? Get me in there, I’ve been waiting for this call.” In fact, after the race, he also mentioned, “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. It was such a cool day—some of the coolest laps I ever had in my life.” 

To add to this collab, here’s another F1-NASCAR swap – Jeff Gordon and Juan Pablo Montoya.

In 2003, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Gordon took the wheel of a Williams FW24 Formula 1 car. On the other hand, Montoya drove a NASCAR stock car. Notably, the NASCAR stock car weighed in at 3,400 pounds. It was powered by an 8-cylinder engine that generated around 850 horsepower at over 9,000 RPM.

Meanwhile, the Williams FW24 featured a 3.0-liter V10 engine, boasting 900 horsepower. It highlighted the advanced design and lightweight carbon fiber components. Like the others before them, these two faced challenges in adapting to their new machines. What do you think about potential future collaborations between NASCAR and F1? Share your thoughts in the comments!