Shane van Gisbergen has showcased the success one can have in NASCAR by simply mastering the road courses, and now it seems he wants to hand that golden opportunity to his friend Max Verstappen. The latter’s F1 departure seems to become imminent with every passing race. The Dutchman hasn’t been too impressed with the new engine regulations for this season, and with a close associate already leaving, he might not stay at all.

Shane van Gisbergen on Max Verstappen’s NASCAR debut

“Seeing someone like Max would be… he’s obviously the first guy who springs to mind because he has started dabbling in other things,” SVG said, discussing a driver who could potentially move to oval racing.

While Max Verstappen has never been too big on oval racing, as he fancies endurance racing more when he’s not focusing on Formula 1 with Red Bull Racing, this could be an interesting avenue to explore. He has already commented on his lack of commitment towards F1 after the new engine regulations were implemented for this season.

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“My contract runs until 2028 but it [his future] will depend on the new rules in 2026, and if they are nice and fun,” he said. “If they are not fun, then I don’t really see myself hanging around.”

There are many issues with the current F1 regulations. The overall racing seems artificial, there’s too much battery conservation, and the cars are clipping on straights in top gear. And all of this is happening because the cars are now running on 50% electric power.

Even keeping those issues away, considering the FIA introduces some changes in the future, Verstappen just lost a close associate, his race engineer of a decade, Gianpiero Lambiase, to McLaren. While he will continue working with Verstappen this season, his departure is imminent.

It is quite well-known just how well Verstappen has been in sync with GP, as he is widely known in the paddock. It would be apparent now that he has decided to leave the team, Verstappen might not fancy sticking around, considering just how unimpressed with the new regulations.

Will Verstappen be considering a NASCAR move?

While Shane van Gisbergen would absolutely enjoy having some more competition on road courses with the likes of Verstappen or some other driver in their peak joining the Cup Series field in the near future, it is unlikely that it will be the four-time F1 World Champion.

In the past, Max Verstappen has hinted that he’s not a huge fan of oval racing, which is what most of NASCAR is. Moreover, it would only set him back in his career, performance-wise. Shane van Gisbergen, for instance, is exemplary on road courses, but when it comes to the ovals, he’s still learning. While he has improved massively this year, a win on a road course still seems distant from him.

Verstappen has already proven just how competitive he can be in a GT3 car, which is what he seems to be pursuing. He won the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie last year, piloting the Ferrari 296 for Emily Frey Racing. He also won the event in 2026, but was disqualified after a post-race inspection. But he proved his competitiveness behind the car’s wheel.

So, at the end of the day, it would make a lot more sense for Verstappen to move towards that category of racing when he decides to leave F1, if he does, at all. So, no matter how much Shane van Gisbergen wants to have him on the Cup field, it is rather unlikely right now.