On a recent episode of FOX Sports’ SPEED With Harvick and Buxton podcast, Will Buxton proposed an unexpected IndyCar dream team, suggesting Max Verstappen and NASCAR’s Connor Zilisch as ideal teammates if he were to build his own squad. The discussion, sparked by a fan question, highlighted the rising interest in a Connor Zilisch IndyCar dream team and the shifting dynamics among top motorsport drivers and series.
Buxton Reveals His Ideal IndyCar Lineup
During a segment dedicated to fantasy team building, Will Buxton shared his reasoning for focusing on IndyCar rather than Formula 1:
“It probably sounds like a copout, but I’d take an IndyCar team because I genuinely love the championship. I think it’s going places. The racing is super exciting, and right now it’s a great championship to invest in and to get sponsors involved with. Who’s got the money to compete in Formula 1? What’s Cadillac spent so far? A billion dollars or something like that.”
Building on this idea, Buxton outlined his vision for a lineup that pairs one of motorsport’s biggest names with a rapidly rising young talent:
“So I’d have an IndyCar team. I would try and convince Max Verstappen to join because it’s Max… Who wouldn’t love to see Max take on the Indy 500? And something a bit different for him. And I’m stealing Connor Zilisch from you guys,” Buxton continued.
“And you never know, if we got those two, maybe we’d get Red Bull back on board and have a Red Bull-backed Verstappen-Zilisch super team in IndyCar,” he added.
Buxton’s vision creates a narrative where a global F1 superstar and a young American prospect could not only attract significant sponsorship—potentially even from Red Bull—but also boost attention and competitiveness for IndyCar.
Max Verstappen’s Motorsport Plans Do Not Include IndyCar
Despite Buxton’s enthusiasm, Max Verstappen has repeatedly dismissed the idea of racing in IndyCar or NASCAR once his Formula 1 career ends. The Dutch driver, a four-time world champion, has stated a preference for endurance racing. In recent years, Verstappen earned his GT3 license, won a race at Nordschleife in 2025, and has discussed entering marquee endurance events like the Nürburgring 24 Hours, the World Endurance Championship—especially the Hypercar division—the 24 Hours of Spa, and Australia’s Bathurst 1000. His focus remains firmly outside single-seater oval racing circuits after Formula 1, favoring long-distance, multi-driver competitions instead.
Harvick’s Perspective and Alternative Team Selection
Podcast co-host and former NASCAR Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick also shared his own team-building scenario. Rather than joining Buxton’s vision, Harvick said he would base his team around veteran Joey Logano and up-and-comer Corey Heim, focusing on established experience and emerging talent within the NASCAR ranks. This contrast underscored differing values between established stars and rising prospects when assembling a dream motorsports team.
Concerns Over F1’s New Direction Stir Drivers
The same podcast episode addressed concerns over Formula 1’s future, particularly in light of new technical regulations rolled out for the 2026 season. Both Buxton and Harvick critiqued the impact these changes had during the Australian Grand Prix, where drivers were seen managing battery recharge by lifting off the throttle on straights, making racecraft less about outright pace and more about energy management. The anxiety extends beyond drivers to fans and teams, echoing reactions across the racing community.
“You want to get to Formula 1,” Buxton said. “Every step of the way the cars get bigger, louder, faster. You need more commitment, more bravery. To then think you’re three-quarters of the way down a straight and you have to lift and coast… that doesn’t scream pinnacle of racing to me.”
“You’ve got a multi-time world champion, Max Verstappen, saying he’s going to go do something else because he just doesn’t want to drive the car anymore. You’ve got a big problem.”
Harvick likened the shift to the introduction of NASCAR’s Next Gen car in 2022, where new formats and technologies brought mixed responses from the driver roster. The concern now is that frustration among high-profile drivers like Verstappen could undermine F1’s status as the leading series in the sport, especially if significant figures express public dissatisfaction and consider leaving for other disciplines.
What This Means for IndyCar, F1, and the Broader Racing World
The dream of pairing Max Verstappen with Connor Zilisch in an IndyCar super team captures the imagination and highlights a growing fascination with crossover stories in global motorsport. While Verstappen’s actual plans rule out an appearance in IndyCar, the conversation underscores the ongoing appeal of the series and the opportunity for young drivers such as Zilisch to become household names. At the same time, changes in Formula 1 regulations are driving introspection among teams and stars, with the potential for ripple effects across racing categories worldwide. As veterans like Kevin Harvick and analysts like Will Buxton debate the future, fans are left eager to see where their favorite drivers, including those from the Connor Zilisch IndyCar dream team scenario, will compete—and how the shape of elite motorsport will evolve in the years ahead.
