The United States may be producing more talented drivers for Formula 1, as Connor Zilisch is the latest to be rumored to make the eventual move overseas.
Just 19 years old, the Charlotte, North Carolina native may look to follow the steps of Colton Herta, Cadillac’s junior driver who plans to compete for Hitech in Formula 2 this season after spending seven-plus years in IndyCar.
Zilisch has a lot of promise, given his success at such a young age. He finished second in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series championship in 2025 for JR Motorsports, and with 10 wins, he would have cruised away with the title had it been based strictly on points. He set a record with 18 straight top five finishes, and he did it immediately after returning from a back injury with a streak that included nine victories.
This season, he plans to run select races in that series for JR Motorsports while competing full-time for Trackhouse Racing at NASCAR's top level.
A move to Formula 1 from the NASCAR Cup Series would be difficult, but Zilisch does not seem too fussed about it currently, as he sees potential for it, but not for a couple of years. Even then, it would be heavily reliant on the F1 driver market and the number of openings available.
What makes a NASCAR-to-F1 move difficult?
If anything, a miracle would need to happen for Zilisch to get a shot at F1. The track record for drivers who make the jump from NASCAR to Formula 1 is very limited.
The only example is 1967 Daytona 500 winner Mario Andretti, and Andretti had also had an abundance of success in IndyCar (USAC Championship Car) prior to his move. Zilisch does boast past success in sports cars, winning the 2024 24 Hours of Daytona in the LMP2 class, as well as the 2024 12 Hours of Sebring in the same class.
Whether Zilisch knows what he's up against is unclear, but he would have to absolutely dominate in NASCAR for the next few seasons to even be on the radar of any Formula 1 teams. Another possibility would be making a jump to IndyCar to improve his chances at Formula 1 via an open-wheel series, especially if Herta's jump from IndyCar to Formula 2 ultimately nets him a Formula 1 chance.
Many of the drivers on the Formula 1 grid get two-year deals. With most of the grid set to be out of contract at the end of 2026, the same pattern could potentially create an opening for Zilisch post-2030. He should have plenty of time to build his career before then, and he is certainly one to watch out for in the United States. Could he find himself in Formula 1 a few years from now?