Liam Lawson samples NASCAR Cup Car in Ford simulator

Red Bull Formula 1 driver Liam Lawson got his first taste of the NASCAR Cup Series after sampling the Next Gen car in a Ford simulator.

Lawson, who has never driven a stock car before, recently paid a visit to Ford Performance’s technical centre in Concord, North Carolina to get acquainted with NASCAR machinery.

The Kiwi received guidance from his friend and Front Row Motorsports driver Noah Gregson, who was present throughout the simulator run.

Lawson chose the Circuit of the Americas for his first try-out in the virtual Ford Mustang, having already raced at the Austin venue in an RB F1 car last year.

The 23-year-old was able to lap in the 2m15s bracket, some six seconds slower than last year’s NASCAR pole time on the full COTA layout.

However, Gregson was nevertheless impressed, having placed a bet on Lawson not being able to get under 2m20s due to his lack of experience in a Cup car.

Lawson also quickly got up to speed at the Bristol Motor Speedway, an oval track he was completely unfamiliar with, prompting Gregson to say he “knocked it out of the park”.

Following the sim run, Lawson expressed an interest in racing in NASCAR in the future, saying “dude, I would love to do a race. Yeah, 100 per cent”.

Lawson’s countryman Shane van Gisbergen has already made a full-time switch to the Cup Series with Trackhouse Racing, having initially built a career in Supercars.

Ford is partnering Red Bull’s F1 team in 2026, playing an integral role in the development of a new hybrid power unit at Milton Keynes.