Is Scott McLaughlin good enough to take on Formula 1?

Wednesday, 21 December 2022

A former Formula 1 star has suggested that New Zealand’s Scott McLaughlin is quick enough behind the wheel to be considered for an F1 test.

The compliment comes via McLaughlin’s NTT IndyCar Series rival Romain Grosjean. The Swiss racer has previously driven in F1 with Renault, Lotus, and Haas.

Speaking with MotorSport Magazine, Grosjean said the results McLaughlin has shown in just two years of IndyCar competition mark him as one of the most impressive drivers in the series.

McLaughlin claimed three wins in this year’s IndyCar Series.

“There are drivers [in IndyCar] that are very talented. One of the guys that amazed me the most is Scott McLaughlin. I think he should have a test in F1, he would be fast. That guy is very special,” Grosjean said. “If you think he did Supercars for so many years and is doing so well in IndyCar now, it’s very natural.”

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Grosjean made his IndyCar debut with Dale Coyne Racing in 2021, before joining Andretti Autosports in 2022.

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McLaughlin celebrates his Grand Prix of Portland victory alongside Will Power (left) and Scott Dixon (right).

McLaughlin transitioned from Supercars to IndyCar in 2021. Some pundits questioned whether it was the right move to make, given that McLaughlin had very little open-wheel racing experience under his belt prior to the switch.

The 29-year-old has gone on to prove any doubters wrong. In his rookie season he finished 14th in the points, enough to earn the rookie of the year title. He then enjoyed a stellar 2022 season; finishing with three race wins and three podiums to earn fourth in the standings.

Should an F1 test opportunity present itself, McLaughlin wouldn’t be the first Kiwi to get the chance following success in America. Scott Dixon performed a test with Williams BMW in 2004, doing well enough to briefly be linked to a seat with the team in 2005.

Grosjean and fellow former F1 drivers Marcus Ericsson and Alexander Rossi were amongst the drivers to finish behind McLaughlin in the 2022 series standings. The two-time Supercars champion also beat three drivers that have been linked to a potential move to F1; Alex Palau, Patricio O’Ward, and Colton Herta.

The IndyCar Series has undergone something of an image change in recent years, with global awareness for the series (and the level of competition in its ranks) on the rise.

In part, this has stemmed from veteran drivers like Grosjean and drivers from F1’s junior ranks entering the series. New Zealand’s Marcus Armstrong, an F2 race winner and former Castrol Toyota Racing Series frontrunner, is set to transition from F2 to IndyCar in the new year.

This shift in attitudes and positioning has inevitably led to IndyCar being compared to F1. While Grosjean believes aspects of these comparisons stack up, he also sees differences in the two championships.

“I think IndyCar works a little bit differently than F1 in the way you need to have experience in the race, and that’s why you see the old guys doing pretty good. But the racing is tough and the competition is up there,” said Grosjean.

“One of the best examples was when Palou came to COTA (Circuit of the Americas) to do FP1 for McLaren and on the same tires as Lando [Norris] he was two or three tenths off, which is very, very good.

“Colton [Herta], the picture was bigger. He has got the capacity and speed to be in F1. But if you look at his career he has never won a championship.”