Former Formula 1 driver Kamui Kobayashi is opening up to a possible return to NASCAR, leaving the door wide open for future opportunities in the sport.
With a rich career in the field of motor sports, ranging from Formula 1 to the World Endurance Championship, Kobayashi entered the world of stock car racing in 2023. His departure took place on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where he drove for the Toyota-backed 23XI Racing team.
Kobayashi's track record is varied, including participations in racing series such as Formula 1, World Endurance Championship, Super Formula and Formula E.
His notable achievements include a Formula 1 podium and victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
In NASCAR, Kobayashi faced a steep learning curve. In his first race, he started from 28th position to finish 33rd, due to several incidents during the race. Nevertheless, he was undeterred and competed in a second race at the Circuit of the Americas in March 2024, finishing 29th.
His involvement in NASCAR is supported by the 23XI Racing team, co-led by basketball legend Michael Jordan and veteran NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin. This partnership coincides with Kobayashi's long-standing relationship with Toyota Gazoo Racing.
Despite his commitments to other races, Kobayashi recently expressed his desire to try oval racing in NASCAR. He told Frontstretch reporter Dalton Hopkins:
-“I want to race on an oval at some point. Not yet at the moment. We have several projects going on, and I think if I have the opportunity, I will, of course.”
Kobayashi's schedule for 2025 is proving to be busy with his active roles in the World Endurance Championship and Super Formula. These ongoing commitments make it difficult to envision a return to NASCAR this year. He added:
“But at the moment we will be very busy, more than last year, so I think it will be complicated to achieve this this year, but if in the future… if I have an opportunity, I will do it. ”
Despite a rocky start, his desire to return to NASCAR could bring new life to the sport and help expand its global reach, especially in Japan, a market historically linked to NASCAR through exhibition races held at the end of the 1990s.
If Kobayashi makes his return to NASCAR, it could coincide with the expansion of 23XI Racing.
