Current F1 and NASCAR Drivers Who Will Likely Play at the WSOP

In particular, NASCAR noted an average of over three million viewers per race. Meanwhile, recent Formula 1 reports reveal an average of nearly two million. Undeniably, a big reason these motorsports have become so successful is the compelling drivers at the helm of each car. As some of the most fascinating celebrities today, they’ve shown deeply nuanced interests that see them branch out beyond the racetrack. One of these interests is poker.

A popular game that many enjoy for its high stakes, engaging gameplay, and emphasis on strategy, poker has welcomed many famous athletes to the table–ranging from former NBA player Tony Parker to retired NASCAR driver Jason White. Some have even taken their passion so that they’ve got the chance to join the World Series of Poker (WSOP).

Considered the most prestigious of all global poker tourneys, the WSOP is also the world’s longest-running annual poker event. Since it was first held in 1970, it’s now grown to the point where the latest prize pool was $438 million, and famous personalities are among the thousands who participate.

With this in mind, we’ve compiled a list of Formula 1 and NASCAR drivers whose talent on the felt is close to matching their abilities on the track, making them that much more likely to grace the WSOP in the future.

If there’s one driver who has shown his ability to rise beyond the odds, it’s Fernando Alonso. Last year, the Aston Martin driver struggled with an underperforming car that left him falling behind the main pack. Ever the gracious driver, though, he maintained that their team just had to double down their efforts, find a comfortable approach, and enter the 2025 campaign on a clean slate.

This same grit would serve Alonso well in the WSOP, where the odds are hardly ever in a player’s favor, and it all boils down to strategic thinking. In fact, he’s already displayed his capacity for poker in his own private life.

A two-time winner of the F1 World Drivers’ Championship, he’s a known card shark in his inner circle. In 2012, he even posted that he’d “wiped out” his friends after dominating their private poker game.

Across his prolific career, which includes over 550 races in 13 years, American NASCAR driver Landon Casill has turned to poker as a recreational hobby. In 2022, he even participated in a StormX Invitational Tournament for poker before telling interviewers that his poker journey was inspired by Chris Moneymaker.

Recognized as a poker icon, Moneymaker sparked the early 2000s poker boom after qualifying and eventually winning the WSOP despite being an unknown everyman-type of player. Today, he remains highly influential, especially in online poker circles, as a poker pro for ACR Poker.

As the leading poker site in the country, ACR Poker works with Moneymaker to help him host his Moneymaker Tour, which includes several satellite events held across the US and nearby territories.

Considering that Cassill announced that while he’d continue racing, he would be pulling back from full-time driving in 2023, this only increases the chances that he’ll now find the time to give poker and the WSOP a more serious try.

While most people outside of the racing world will know Carlos Sainz as a former Scuderia Ferrari driver, real fans will know that he’s also a talented poker player. Although he drives for Williams Racing now, Sainz’s stint under Ferrari saw him taking part in a number of poker games alongside former teammate Leclerc for gaming provider PokerGO.

A known entity in online poker, the platform also hosts The Global Poker Table show, where celebrities play a few rounds while sharing insights. In his appearance, Sainz teamed up with Olympian Michael Phelps, and together, they bested Leclerc, who was working with WSOP veteran Antonio Esfandiari.

Additionally, it’s worth noting that this new team has just signed a deal with sports betting and iGaming company Super Group Limited, which also offers poker. As such, this increased exposure to the card game may allow Sainz even more opportunities that lead him back to the felt and, over time, the WSOP.

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