Max Verstappen's ex-F1 mechanic comments on Bubba Wallace being helped by his Toyota ally

Bubba Wallace experienced a dramatic moment at Richmond Raceway when a loose wheel had to be reattached by another NASCAR team, Joe Gibbs Racing, on lap 291. The incident drew praise from Calum Nicholas, Max Verstappen’s former Red Bull Formula 1 mechanic, who called it a great display of sportsmanship.

Although Wallace competes for 23XI Racing, both his team and Joe Gibbs Racing operate under the Toyota banner. That connection creates a level of alliance between them, though their cooperation only goes so far as they remain separate organizations. 23XI is co-owned by six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan and #11 JGR driver Denny Hamlin.

In Formula 1, loose wheel incidents are rare thanks to mandatory tethers that secure each wheel to the chassis. Still, notable cases have occurred, such as the 2013 German Grand Prix, when Red Bull’s Mark Webber lost a wheel in the pit lane that struck a cameraman. That accident took place two years before Nicholas joined the team.

Nicholas, a multi-championship-winning F1 mechanic, praised the efforts of JGR's #19 crew for jumping in to reattach the loose wheel on Wallace’s No. 23 Toyota.

“Absolutely love this. It’s great sportsmanship, but also, assisting a competitor is a flex,” he wrote on X.

Calum Nicholas

@F1mech

Absolutely love this. ​It’s great sportsmanship, but also, assisting a competitor is a flex 🙌🏾

At the end of the Cook Out 400 at Richmond, Bubba Wallace only finished 28th after starting in seventh place. He led the most laps (123 of 400 laps) and earned the Xfinity Fastest Lap of 22.96 seconds around the 0.75-mile oval. Austin Dillon was the race winner to secure a playoff spot for the first time in three seasons.

Wallace is already locked into the postseason thanks to his victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. With just one regular-season race left at Daytona, only two playoff spots remain up for grabs. His 23XI teammate, Tyler Reddick, sits 15th in the standings with an 89-point cushion above the cutline.

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“Looking forward to the challenge”: Bubba Wallace on his mindset for the NASCAR playoff opener at Darlington

Bubba Wallace is set to return to the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs after missing the postseason action in 2024. He looked forward to the opening race at Darlington Raceway while carrying the momentum of securing the pole position from last year's Darlington fall race.

The 31-year-old Alabama native said (via Frontstretch on YouTube):

“Looking forward to Darlington. It's been a fun track to learn and figure out, and continue to gain speed there. Sitting on the pole there last year was really really cool. It's a lot of work, you know, when we get to Darlington, the playoffs start. So just got to be mentally and physically ready, but looking forward to the challenge.” [2:45]

Bubba Wallace drives the #23 Toyota Camry for 23XI Racing - Source: Imagn

So far in 2025, Wallace has collected one win, four top-fives, and 10 top-10s. He opened the season by winning Duel 1 at Daytona, which earned him a third-place starting spot in the Daytona 500. However, six DNFs have hurt his chances for potentially stronger results.