Conspiracy Theories Run Wild as F1 Champion Max Verstappen Eyes NASCAR Team Brand

Max Verstappen, the four-time Formula 1 World Champion, driving the No. 1 Red Bull Racing car, has always carried a secret thrill for two-wheeled racing. “I’m a big MotoGP fan and I try to watch every race… I even take my iPad to the circuits so I don’t miss anything,” he revealed in a 2024 Red Bull event at its Hangar 7 in Austria. More than just a curious spectator, Verstappen has privately spoken about his longing to ride a MotoGP machine, though he concedes it would make sense to start with Moto2 or Moto3 for caution’s sake. “I would love to do it, but I understand the concerns of my team. For now, I will settle for enjoying it as a spectator,” he added. Of course, his F1 teams have strictly forbidden any such experiment, citing safety concerns, but what if the fandom evolves into something far bigger?

Verstappen’s curiosity about MotoGP extends beyond casual remarks. At the Honda “Thanks Day” in Motegi, he joined Marc Márquez in examining a MotoGP machine and confessed, “I’d like to try one of these bikes for the speed they have on the straight, the power the bikes have.” He also jokingly noted that if he tried, “Now I can break a leg.” But now, the puzzle pieces are starting to click, and racing fans are buzzing. Through his connections, including his father Jos Verstappen, and his management, Verstappen is said to have quietly explored the possibility of owning a MotoGP team. The aim? To enter the grid as a full team owner someday in the future, though realistically not in the short term.

Sources suggest he has reached out to assess the availability of satellite outfits like LCR and Trackhouse Racing, privately sounding them out to acquire shares. Trackhouse Racing, under the leadership of Justin Marks, has already established a bold MotoGP presence, built from the ground up in record time and fueled by an alliance with Aprilia. The situation mirrors past moments when crossover interest shook up the paddock, like Lewis Hamilton’s attempt to buy Team Gresini. With MotoGP teams currently valued between €25-30 million and Liberty Media’s arrival poised to drive future growth, Verstappen’s interest may signal a broader trend of Formula 1 figures looking to invest in two-wheel racing.

Meanwhile, at the Salzburg event in Austria, Verstappen engaged in a casual yet momentous exchange with Trackhouse Racing driver Connor Zilisch. As Zilisch leaned on his NASCAR stock car and asked, “You wanna get in?”, Verstappen didn’t hesitate before replying, “I mean, I would like to do it,” showing a willingness to be a part of the NASCAR circle as well. On the other hand, owner Justin Marks framed Trackhouse not merely as a NASCAR operation, but as a motorsport entertainment group with ambitions stretching to global platforms. “This is not a NASCAR team going motorcycle racing,” Marks clarified. “This is the Trackhouse Entertainment Group identifying opportunities globally to participate in high-value events and championships.” 

And it’s the fans who fuel the intrigue, bridging speculation with passion. The scenarios and conspiracy theories may seem fantastical right now, but they capture the electrifying crossover potential the community lives for, merging legend with ambition, and turning weekend speculation into future headlines.

Crossover dreams ignite NASCAR and F1 communities

One fan commented, “justin marks is a shrewd businessman,” seeing him rapidly architect Trackhouse into a powerful, multi-disciplinary motorsports force. By 2022, he acquired Chip Ganassi Racing’s NASCAR operations, instantly evolving a one-car setup into a two-car Cup Series contender. Marks also expanded further by creating Trackhouse360 to branch into merchandising, content, and entertainment, and built a go-karting facility, Trackhouse Motorplex, to cultivate grassroots engagement, all moves underscoring his knack for building a legacy far beyond racing.

Another fan opined, “Conspiracy time, this leads to a Trackhouse Red Bull merger, Max running a project 91 race and VER in the Rolex 24 alongside SVG, CZ and Scotty Mac or Ben Keating.” Trackhouse isn’t just a NASCAR nameplate anymore. It launched a MotoGP programme and recruited veteran executive Davide Brivio to run the project, which shows the outfit is already operating across series. On the endurance front, it has fielded marquee drivers at Daytona with SVG and Scott McLaughlin teaming up for the Rolex 24, Connor Zilisch has had genuine IMSA/Daytona credentials, and Ben Keating is a proven Rolex competitor, facts that suggest the four-driver Rolex 24 lineup plausible, if speculative, mash-up rather than pure fantasy.

One fan perfectly captured the crossover excitement, writing, “This would be exciting for the fans. My SVG and Kimi Räikkönen Project 91 cars.” Fans have fond memories of Trackhouse’s Project 91, which first drew global headlines when Kimi Räikkönen, the 2007 F1 world champion, piloted the No. 91 NASCAR Cup car at COTA. The Project 91 program, aimed at giving world-class drivers a taste of NASCAR and applauded for riding racing disciplines and sparking international interest, now subtly nods to the tantalizing possibility of seeing Verstappen follow in those crossover footsteps.

Some fans added, “Only condition is he’d have to run the Bristol night race next year in the 91.” Bristol‘s Night Race is literally built for that kind of headline-making cameo, with its short-track fury, under-lights atmosphere, and history of sparks and drama making it one of NASCAR’s most electrifying stages. SVG, a Supercars superstar, jumped into the Cup Series and stunned the paddock by winning the Chicago street race in his Cup debut, proving how non-NASCAR stars can instantly become Sunday-night sensations. So, why not see Verstappen do the same this time?

One fan emphasized the high possibility, saying, “You joke but its an off week for F1 next year, Saturday night race, allowing for an extra day travel to get to Baku. Week prior is Spain so he could be in Concord as early as Tuesday, after a rest day. Concord Airport uses Runway 02/20, which is 7,402ft long, almost 2000ft more runway needed for Max’s private jet, the Dassault Falcon 8x, which can make the direct flight from Madrid to Concord, easily.” While his jet has been seen making intermediate stops between race locations, it demonstrates that the quick, intercontinental repositioning described by the fan is operationally feasible, hence igniting the rumors further.

In the end, Verstappen‘s crossover intrigue underscores how motorsport’s biggest names are increasingly blurring the lines between disciplines once thought worlds apart.