NASCAR is one of the few motorsport series that remains relatively pure in the global landscape. Sure, it has come far away from its stock car racing roots, but the emotions are still raw. Compared to its EU counterpart and perhaps its biggest rival, Formula 1 is highly technological and sophisticated. But how does this sport look to an outsider who has experienced the best of both worlds?

Shane van Gisbergen drops unexpected verdict on NASCAR supremacy

SVG can’t stop praising the sport for being so unfiltered. Sure, he hasn’t yet understood the more aggressive nuances of the sport, but he is getting there slowly. Talking to Jeff Gluck about his experience in the sport, SVG admitted he prefers NASCAR to Formula 1.

“For me, I want a raw car where the driver is the limit. You can push yourself and go a little bit harder and keep getting lap time out of it.”

“Some cars, you’re just driving to the limit of what you’ve got, and you don’t have any tools — whether it’s your skills or in-car adjustments — to make it better. You’re just stuck with whatever you’ve got. I call those ‘engineer’s cars.’ You’re driving what they’ve given you, and you’re stuck at that level. You don’t have any ability to make a difference.”

So why should a motorsport enthusiast pay attention to this comparison? Gisbergen might be a Supercar champion, but he clearly doesn’t know what it’s like to drive a Formula 1 race car. However, there is one point that connects him to Formula 1. SVG voiced concerns over the Gen 3 Supercar, just like the current F1 drivers are protesting the 2026 F1 regulations.

“I guess Supercars isn’t that fun at the moment. (I’m) not really enjoying it as much and starting to think about other things and look around,” he said when asked about a potential move to NASCAR in 2023. And SVG was racing full-time in NASCAR next season. His move mirrors the situation Max Verstappen is facing in Formula 1 currently.

A dominant world champion in the sport for the past few years consecutively, feeling frustrated with the current regulations, and trying out different racing series. When SVG first came to NASCAR, he could circumvent the dissatisfaction he had in Supercars in Australia. Even though he was trying to commit full-time, the lure of NASCAR’s freedom took that away from him.

But does SVG think this opinion is the final verdict?

SVG relates to veteran NASCAR drivers

“It’s interesting; my comments (about the Supercars) are similar to what the F1 car is going (through) or NASCAR’s Car of Tomorrow or even this (Next Gen) car when it first came out with the older guys (disliking it),” SVG said.

“So it happens everywhere. For me, change was good (going from Supercars to NASCAR), but maybe if I’d gone from the old car to this car (in NASCAR), I’d feel the same way.”

Coming back to Formula 1 vs NASCAR, SVG’s arguments stem from the standpoint of letting the driver decide the outcome of the race through his talent. Perhaps the proof is that the top team in the sport has won only two races this season. The underdog teams won the biggest and most prestigious races.

A few weeks ago, Spire Motorsports and Carson Hocevar won at Talladega while they were dealing with multiple issues in the courtroom against JGR. Tyler Reddick, who comes from a team that was formed in 2021, won the first race, the Daytona 500. In that regard, there is a certain parity in NASCAR.

Sure, there is dominance and the one-off show of a driver leading the pack from far away. But that does not stem from the teams; rather, it stems from the driver’s ability and the manufacturers. Currently, Toyota cars are the fastest, but that applies to every Toyota car. Similarly, when SVG drives a road course, he leads the pack by a huge margin because of his ability to find pace in the corners where others struggle.

So, in terms of pure racing and the sheer unpredictable nature of every race weekend, SVG’s words hold. In that scenario, NASCAR is far better than Formula 1 is currently, and the way things are going, this dynamic is not going to change anytime soon.