Kyle Larson is undoubtedly one of the most versatile drivers in the world. The 31-year-old has recently been in the headlines for claiming to be a “better all-around driver” than reigning Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen, which took the internet by storm. With Williams Racing parting ways with Logan Sargeant in the middle of the 2024 season, F1 insider Karun Chandhok, who last competed in Formula E for Mahindra Racing, sparked a debate by sharing his recommendations for possible replacements.

Chandhok’s comment on X prompted fans to take to social media to express their preference towards Xfinity Series star Shane van Gisbergen, who recently secured a full-time Cup Series seat for Trackhouse Racing.

Former Formula E drivers’ views spark an age-old debate

Despite nine races remaining in the 2024 Formula 1 season, Williams Racing has opted to part ways with Logan Sargeant ahead of the Italian Grand Prix. The 23-year-old American was already set to be replaced by Carlos Sainz at the end of the season, but with no result higher than 11th in 15 races, the team decided to replace him with Franco Colapinto.

However, when TV presenter Matt Gallagher asked his followers, “Who would YOU have replaced Logan Sargeant with?”, Formula 1 insider Karun Chandhok suggested IndyCar driver Scott McLaughlin and NASCAR’s Kyle Larson as possible replacements.

NASCAR and IndyCar racers have always been compared to each other, with fans of the two motorsport disciplines at loggerheads about their drivers being superior to others. Whether intentional or not, Chandhok’s decision to pick an IndyCar and NASCAR driver sparked an indirect debate, with fans voicing their opinion about who they would pick as Logan Sargeant’s replacement. IndyCar fans expressed their support for Scott McLaughlin being the perfect choice, while others went on to say that Chip Ganassi Racing driver Álex Palou would be a worthy candidate.

Meanwhile, NASCAR fans showed support for their favorite drivers, with many fans backing Kyle Larson. However, the majority of stock car racing supporters had the Chicago Street Course winner on their minds, as they went on to recommend Shane van Gisbergen as a possible replacement for Logan Sargeant. The 35-year-old’s rise in NASCAR has been nothing short of incredible, having secured his first Cup Series win on his debut at the Chicago Street Course in 2023. Since then, he has been competing in the Xfinity Series as a full-time driver for Kaulig Racing and has already secured wins at Portland, Sonoma, and Chicago.

SVG has built quite a reputation for himself in the NASCAR circles, especially because of his expertise at road courses. However, the Kiwi has also developed into a formidable force on oval tracks, having secured a third-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway earlier this season and finishing fourth at Indianapolis’ 2.5-mile oval. SVG’s versatility in adapting to different motorsport disciplines has certainly won over the fans, who believe that he would be a worthy successor for Logan Sargeant at Williams Racing.

Fans would prefer Shane van Gisbergen over the HMS driver

It didn’t take long for fans to share their preferences as to who they would want Logan Sargeant to be replaced with. Despite F1 insider Karun Chandhok opting for Kyle Larson, many NASCAR fans chose SVG as a possible candidate. The Auckland native has shown great versatility in his career so far, excelling in a variety of motorsport disciplines with lightning-quick speed. Keeping that in mind, a fan wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter), “Shane Van Gisbergen! Has been fast in just about everything he’s been put into.”

Shane van Gisbergen won the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup in 2016, winning races at the Monza Circuit and Circuit Paul Ricard. He also won the Supercars Championships in 2016, 2021, and 2022, earning the reputation of a versatile driver in the process. If that wasn’t all, he already has four wins in the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series despite having not finished a full-time season.

Remembering his career so far, a fan wrote, “@shanevg97 if you’re talking all-rounders surely Karun! Faster than Cassidy in his own LMP2, Blancpain Champion. Ki–ed it in WRC 2 beating regulars. Multiple Supercar champ. NASCAR race winner. A smidge tall for F1, but my point stands! Dude is quick in whatever he drives.”

Comparing SVG to Scott McLaughlin and Kyle Larson, one fan expressed his belief that the Kiwi will be able to perform better than the NASCAR and IndyCar icons. The fan wrote, “Shane Van Gisbergen would beat them both.” Echoing that sentiment, a fan disagreed with Karun Chandhok’s choices, choosing another pair of drivers from the two racing disciplines as his choices for a Formula 1 seat. Writing on X, the fan said, “SVG and Scott Dixon have entered the chat room as well”.

Another fan agreed with Chandhok’s choices but told the F1 insider to include Shane van Gisbergen in the mix as well. The fan wrote on X, “Agreed but you’re missing @shanevg97 in your idea”. With four races remaining before playoffs begin at Kansas Speedway, Shane Van Gisbergen will hope to finish the regular season strongly to be in a strong position before the Round of 12 begins. While his future in the Cup Series is assured, the driver will hope to end his Xfinity Series career on a high by winning the title at Phoenix Raceway later this year.

Do you think Shane van Gisbergen could excel at Formula 1? Let us know in the comments!