Every former F1 driver to compete on the American circuit in 2024
General
Formula One is getting more and more popular in the United States, as now the country as three Grands Prix at COTA, Miami and Las Vegas, and the 2024 Miami Grand Prix just broke a TV audience report, ESPN announced. Fans who have followed the sport for a longer time do recognise former Formula One drivers on the American circuit, in competitions such as IndyCar and NASCAR.
IndyCar
Out of the top American series, IndyCar is the most comperable to Formula One, and the Indy 500 was also part of the F1 calendar from 1950 until 1960. On the current grid, the most decorated F1 driver is Romain Grosjean. The Frenchman restarted his career in IndyCar after his horendous crash at the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix. In F1, he finished on the podium 10 times, and competed for Renault, Lotus and Haas. Grosjean was replaced by another current IndyCar driver, Pietro Fittipaldi for the last two races of the 2020 season.
Marcus Ericsson competed for Catherham and Sauber (then Alfa Romeo) from 2014 until 2018. He has scored 18 points in total. Alexander Rossi competed in seven Grands Prix in 2015, without scoring a point for Manor Marussia.
Théo Pourchaire is currently a reserver driver for Stake F1. After replacing David Malukas early in the year, it has been announced that he will take over as the #6 Arrow McLaren after the 2024 Indy 500.
Japanese driver Takuma Sato will compete at the 2024 Indy 500. He took part in 92 Grands Prix in Formula One. Indianapolis seems to be a lucky circuit for the experienced driver, as he won the 2020 Indy 500 and also scored his only podium in F1 on the road course back in 2004.
Trying to make the switch the other way around with hoping to find a seat in Formula One similarly to how Jacques Villeneuve did back in the 1990s are Pato O'Ward and Álex Palou. Both drove during free practice sessions for McLaren.
NASCAR
After former world champions Kimi Räikkönen drove at COTA and Jenson Button competed in three races in the Cup Series in 2023, they will not feature again this season. However, Japanese driver Kamui Kobayashi will race in one event in the 2024 season. During his F1 career, Kobayashi scored a single podium for Sauber at the 2012 Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka.
Former Red Bull driver competed at the COTA race in the Xfinity Series. The Russian driver in his 112 entries in F1 finished three times on the podium during his time at Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso/AlphaTauri.