Raikkonen made his Cup Series debut earlier this year in the #91 Trackhouse car at Watkins Glen and caused quite a stir when the former F1 star returned to NASCAR, having previously competed in the lower series of Xfinity and Truck.
The Finn was eighth in the pit stop cycle until he retired after a restart and injured his wrist after a collision and his car crashed into a tire wall.
Raikkonen is not believed to be committing to a multi-race series and when asked if he would return in the future, he replied: “We’ll see.”
ANALYSIS: What’s next for Raikkonen after his NASCAR Cup Series debut?
Marks says Raikkonen is welcome back in this car in 2023 as he looks to expand the program and compete in additional events with Chevrolet.
“You know, I’ve really enjoyed my time with Kimi and her family,” Marks said. “I thought he did a great job. I think without the shipwreck how the strategy developed [out] and as he learned throughout the race, it would put us in position to get a top 10 outside shot, certainly a top 15 finish that would have been a really nice day.
“I guess it’s his kind of journey until he tells me otherwise and we’re going to have those discussions here after the season is over and I think we’ll have a pretty good idea of where Project91 is by the end of it.” of the year.”
Marks competed in the United States Grand Prix at COTA a few weeks ago, having competed in the Miami Grand Prix earlier in the year, as he is looking for new opportunities to further develop this program.
Asked by Autosport about his visit to COTA F1 and if he had a ‘shopping list’ of drivers to target, he replied: “Obviously Trackhouse has been with Kimi, who came to us this year and races with us, something that Everyone wants. there was knowledge of It’s about building and developing some relationships there.
“But Formula 1 is also going through a very interesting moment. They are a very promising brand, the way they promote their personality and the platform they offer to the world is quite innovative.
“I like to go to these events and just see how they interact with the fans, how they activate with their partners and promote.
“I was there on Thursday, which was important to me when there were no cars on the track, when they were doing all the other things just to get inspired and educated and meet people.
“I went to Miami for the same thing this year and I could be in Abu Dhabi in a couple of weeks to do the same thing.
“Yes, for sure there is a shopping element, but it was also a kind of educational exercise for me.”
Kimi Raikkonen, TrackHouse Racing, Recogni Chevrolet Camaro, Ty Dillon, Petty GMS Motorsports, Allegiant Chevrolet Camaro
Photo By: Jasen Vinlove/NKP/Motorsport Images
When asked about the likelihood of Project 91 expansion, Marks believes there is great potential after proving the concept with Raikkonen.
“Ultimately, I would like to do more events,” he said. “I would like to do three, four, five races with this program. It is important to bring something unique and unprecedented to the circuit and that is what we are looking for.
“It’s not just about Formula 1. It’s about the different disciplines, backgrounds, personalities and celebrities that we can bring to the series. So let’s continue those conversations.
“And I’m very excited about the future of this sport, this program, because NASCAR is something that the whole world knows about.
“Anyone would like to try. It’s an amazing race. Now we have a car that I think people who have never driven NASCAR can jump in and get up to speed pretty quickly. So we’ll see where it goes. But I’m looking forward to this show.
“There is a lot of public relations and a lot of conversation going on right now. Of course we have to finance it, so we are in the market and talking to companies that would be interested in being part of it. That will ultimately determine how many races we do.
“But [there are] There are a lot of really great conversations with everyone.”
Source: www.autosport.es
