For some reason, there’s a tendency amongst motorsport fans to look down on NASCAR when compared to F1. But how true are those criticisms? How much reality is in the words of those who mock? Perhaps considering the opinion of those who know, the ones who have taken part in both F1 and NASCAR would come to help. After all, there have been a few big names from F1 who raced in NASCAR as well, the most recent on that list being Jacques Villeneuve.

The former F1 champion recently qualified for the Daytona 500 in the second attempt of his career. The Canadian, who is also the winner of the INDY500, had some big words for stock car racing in terms of ‘racing.’

Now, one would say, ‘Well, this is just one former F1 driver who might’ve said what he did out of excitement’; and to that, there’s more.

Because in the past, two other names from F1, Juan Pablo Montoya and Kimi Raikkonen, have expressed their admiration for stock car racing compared to Formula 1.

Jacques Villeneuve joins hands with Montoya and Raikkonen about NASCAR

After his sensational qualification, Villeneuve was naturally pumped up.

“The most fun I’ve had racing has been in NASCAR,” Villeneuve said. “But not qualifying because it’s hard to beat the speed that you get in Formula 1. But racing wheel-to-wheel or fender-to-fender, you can’t beat the way it goes in NASCAR.”

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And before the former Williams F1 driver, there was the former Ferrari driver, Kimi Raikkonen, who expressed his adoration for NASCAR.

Speaking about his brief stint in NASCAR, Raikkonen said, “It was obviously completely different to what I’m used to. F1 and rallying is very different, and then NASCAR is completely its own way of racing and how it is run. I had a good time there. I enjoyed it. It was also nice that it didn’t matter where (in the pack) you race – there are so many cars that you always end up racing with somebody.”

Then there was the story of Juan Pablo Montoya, the Colombian who dazzled not only the Grand Prix circuit but also became somewhat of a legend in American motorsports.

It wouldn’t be wrong to say that Montoya was smitten by NASCAR as he said, “In NASCAR I am ten thousand times happier than I ever was there.”

So to those who doubt NASCAR, do the opinions of two different Formula 1 champions and a two-time INDY500 winner matter?

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