McLaren Racing's Zak Brown teases Kyle Larson's future F1 appearance during chat with Kevin Harvick

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown hinted at the possibility of Kyle Larson testing F1 machinery, mentioning that the Hendrick Motorsports driver has been in discussions with the team. Brown stated that a test "will happen down the road," teasing Larson's debut behind the wheel of an F1 car.

Larson has demonstrated his versatility across various racing series, though he has yet to drive an F1 car. His association with McLaren’s IndyCar program has fueled curiosity regarding Brown's interest in giving the star NASCAR driver a shot at testing McLaren's F1 machinery.

In a recent appearance on Kevin Harvick's Happy Hour podcast, Harvick inquired about the possibility of Larson testing an F1 car. Harvick noted that fans are eager to see how the #5 Hendrick Motorsports driver would fare in Formula 1 machinery.

Brown replied that has been in conversations with Larson about such an opportunity. He referenced a similar test they conducted in 2018 when seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson and two-time F1 champion Fernando Alonso swapped cars in Bahrain.

"Yeah, we've been chatting about it. Kyle, as you can imagine, definitely wants to do it in between our schedule, which goes from February to December, and NASCAR schedule, which I think is February to November, finding that window."

"We did that with Jimmy Johnson and Fernando [Alonso] and Bahrain with Hendrick Motorsports that must have been about four or five years ago, and that was a lot of fun. So I'd love to see Kyle in an F1 car. It is something that we've discussed and something that I think will happen down the road," he added.

Tony Stewart and former McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton also swapped rides in 2011, long before Zak Brown took the helm at the team. With growing excitement around Kyle Larson's comparisons with reigning F1 champion Max Verstappen, an F1 test will offer a chance to showcase Larson’s undeniable talent in single-seaters.

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Zak Brown comments on Kyle Larson's championship qualities

After collaborating with Kyle Larson for the Indy 500, McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown drew parallels between the Hendrick Motorsports driver and two-time F1 champion, Fernando Alonso.

Zak Brown highlighted the championship qualities both drivers displayed during their Indy 500 debut, noting how both gradually built up to race day and had significant confidence in their abilities.

"He's as naturally talented as any racing driver as I've ever seen. I saw this a lot out of Fernando, when I brought him to the Indy 500. You see the championship qualities of these guys," he said. [at 13:57]

"He was very calm, nothing seemed to be happening too fast for him. They're able to compartmentalize, both Kyle and Fernando, they knew where they needed to be on race day but then they took it one day at a time. They were never too hung up on the time sheets or they never got ahead of themselves."

Brown praised Kyle Larson's talent, stating that he was unbelievably quick and didn't put a foot wrong during the Month of May, leading up to the Indy 500.