Remember when Fernando Alonso made the fateful switch to NASCAR from F1? It wasn’t a major switch. It wasn’t even a race. Working with Jimmie Johnson, the two legends swapped cars for a little while at the Bahrain track. Alonso jumped in the #48, while Johnson got behind the wheel of the McLaren. It was a switch made out of dreams. Two of the biggest motorsports, and a collaboration neither sport had seen! Could it happen again? For a while, it seemed so.
With Cadillac receiving its entry into F1, it looked like they would recruit a driver from the US. And the rumor mill said, “Representatives from the Cadillac F1 Team have reached out to Team Penske of NASCAR about Ryan Blaney testing a Formula 1 car. If Blaney finishes 2nd or better in this year’s season standings, he would meet the requirements for a Super Licence.”
To some, it made sense. Blaney was the 2023 Champion. He finished strong last year, and if we look at Team Penske’s records this year, he has been the most consistent driver, even though he secured his win only recently. But does Blaney want to compete? He put an end to the rumors with one word: “Nah.”
— Ryan Blaney (@Blaney) June 5, 2025
It shouldn’t be a surprise that some were fooled by the news. The X page is known for making satirical posts. Some of them include news of Daniel Ricciardo joining Trackhouse Racing and even NASCAR rule changes! It was only a matter of time before a driver responded and shut it down before it could explode.
As for Ryan Blaney‘s F1 ambitions, he hasn’t expressed wanting to run with Cadillac or any F1 team. However, he does have some interest in running IndyCar. But it won’t be simple, especially since he wants to run the Double. Because he drives for Team Penske, it shouldn’t be a big problem finding a seat. Talking about his plans, Blaney said, “But yeah, it’s something I’ve always considered. You never know, maybe down the road if I get a chance. I’m with a great team that has a chance to do it, but we’ll see. You never know, we’ll figure it out.”
The 2023 Cup Series champion has hit the ground running in 2025
In 2025, Team Penske has been pretty strong all year so far. However, it took until the Jack Link’s 500 at the Talladega Superspeedway to draw first blood. That honor went to Cindric, who has often been touted as the weakest of the Penske trio. Joey Logano soon followed that up with a win at the Wurth 400 at Texas Motor Speedway. Finally, Blaney triumphed at the Cracker Barrel 400 at the Nashville Superspeedway to book his Playoff berth.
The shift in balance was clear. Talking about it, Blaney said, “You know, I hated it for those folks over there, you know, last week in Indy, and you know, for those guys (that) have to go through that. The people who got let go were really prominent figures in the company, and it definitely stunk. But on our side, we just focused on kind of what we were doing, and RP told us all, ‘Things happen and we’ve done things about them and we’re going to move forward. What’s the next step, and how do we move on from this?’ Yeah, I mean, it was, we had to hear all week that Penske cars are bad because the IndyCar guys got caught and that’s why we were bad at Charlotte, and then we come here tonight and kick everyone’s a–.”
With the momentum on his side, Blaney will be looking forward to the upcoming race at Michigan. Back in 2021, he triumphed at the Michigan International Speedway in the Firekeepers Casino 400. So it would not be a stretch to say that he is on the hunt for a second win at the venue and a second consecutive win in 2025. It would certainly be a good way to forget last year’s wreck with Chase Elliott.
Sending a positive message to his team, Blaney said, “Never miss a Sunday show! So proud of this 12 Crew and everyone @Team_Penske and the grit that they show each and every week. Thank you to everyone who stood by us. Let’s get that encore in Michigan.”
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