Connor Zilisch is expected to move to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2026. Zilisch is likely to sign with Trackhouse Racing to replace Daniel Suarez in the No. 99 Cup car, and there is no question that he is ready for the move. The 19-year-old driver has been sensational in the NASCAR Xfinity Series; however, could another big move be on the way?
Zilisch was asked about the possibility of making a big move to Formula 1 on the Stacking Pennies podcast with Corey LaJoie. The JR Motorsports driver doesn’t seem ready to move across the world, but it could happen in the future.
“It’s always in the back of my mind,” Zilisch said on Stacking Pennies. “Growing up it was my dream, I wanted to race F1. I went to Europe when I was a kid racing go-karts, it’s what I wanted to do. It’s just when I was younger, I didn’t really have the chance. Now with an American team [Cadillac] being brought to F1, having connections with Red Bull and being kinda tied in there, I’d say the chances aren’t zero.”
“If it were to happen, I’d have to go over there for at least a year, two years probably to even get enough Super Licence points to qualify. I’d run F3… I’d just run a bunch of ‘BS’ series to get Super Licence points. Middle East F3, random things that you can do to get the points. That’s why it would be such a big commitment. I’d want to get settled in here first and know that if I go over there for two years, I could come back and still have a job.”
Zilisch wants to establish himself in NASCAR before making any drastic decisiosns, but if he succeeds at a high level in the Cup Series, it could make Formula 1 less intriguing. For now, the rising NASCAR superstar is set to continue in NASCAR, but a move to Formula 1 can’t be ruled out yet.