Should more F1 drivers race outside Formula 1 more often in Verstappen, Stroll example?

With Lance Stroll and Max Verstappen both taking part in GT ventures during this unplanned April interlude, our latest F1 poll asks if you think more current Formula 1 drivers should follow their lead and take part in other series.

Aston Martin driver Stroll, while competitive during his stint at Paul Ricard over the weekend, saw his Comtoyou Racing team hit with penalties that put them well out of contention for victory in their six-hour GT World Challenge event.

F1 poll: Should more current F1 drivers take part in other series during the season?

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Now, going back through the history books, Formula 1 drivers balancing their commitments at the top level with other racing endeavours is far from new.

The likes of Graham Hill, Jim Clark, Jacky Ickx, Mario Andretti, Stirling Moss and many more all took in the Formula 1 season and balanced it with taking part in other series.

The caveat here, however, is that the Formula 1 calendar was half the size then, and has gradually increased in size over time, making it increasingly difficult for drivers to be able to commit to other events in conjunction with the season.

Fernando Alonso was perhaps the last current driver to do this successfully, taking part in the 2017 Indianapolis 500 with McLaren’s permission, though had the Woking-based team been more competitive that year, it may have been a trickier proposition for the Spanish driver to want to pull away from the Formula 1 campaign as it was happening.

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Stroll also has experience outside Formula 1 by twice taking part in the 24 Hours of Daytona, though as a January race, that does not impact the F1 calendar.

We’ve seen myriad drivers with Formula 1 experience head elsewhere once their time on the grid has come to an end, but it is an increasingly rare sight among current drivers.

What we want to know from your point of view, though, is that because Formula 1 positions itself as the drivers being the best of the best in their field, should we see the drivers allowed to head to other series for appearances more often to prove it?

The pros would be that, as fans, we get to see those in Formula 1 test themselves in other categories and how they match up with more experienced drivers in different machinery.

On the other hand, however, in an already-congested season, the time likely simply does not exist to take in more racing alongside the busy schedule of what being a Formula 1 driver entails.

With two race weekends being cancelled, two drivers have taken the step of racing in GT3 in this unexpected gap, but should more drivers be doing the same? Yes or no, vote below!

Please let us know your thoughts in the comments, for consideration for the next edition of the PlanetF1.com Postbox.

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