I went to the Las Vegas GP so you don't have to

[@NR_88]

As someone who went to the race this weekend and has now seen just about every major racing series in the US, I can confidently say IMSA is the best overall value.

[@dancallahan4183]

Without a doubt. Post (unnamed virus of indeterminate origin), I've been to the 500, Long Beach, Portland, TMS, Mid-Ohio, COTA and Road Atlanta - nothing compared to the enjoyment we had at Petit LeMans

[@kameransnyder9596]

No question about. 24 hr in daytona is something I will never miss after going 2 years ago

[@abledog9462]

And the best racing

[@jamesmarr5196]

Fame gives you the right to charge more.

[@gasmangrowshow2231]

F1 is my favorite, but I agree with IMSA being the best value. They have BEST car culture people, I wish the season was longer.

[@CharlesFlahertyB]

I attended nearly every USGP at Indy, the peak of the V10 era. The sound of a full grid of those cars is unmatched

[@kameransnyder9596]

I miss the days you could feel the sound in your bones

[@1fastjetta]

The last f1 race i attended was at IMS. I brought ear protection to Vegas, but only needed it a few times

[@simonkevnorris]

I prefer the early 1990s with some V12s on the grid. Alesi and Berger in Ferraris were quite often the first cars out on the track. The shriek of the V12s could be heard around the Royal Park at Monza or the Ardennes at Spa.

[@TMcKeon408]

Were you at the 2005 race?

[@simonkevnorris]

@@TMcKeon408 I went there from the UK for four years - 2000 to 2004. I decided I had enough of the hotels hiking prices if you were going to the race. The last year I went I phoned the hotel I'd been in for 2003 and booked a room for 2004. It was about half the price I had paid in 2003. I queried this (not wanting to turn up and find my booking had been lost) and they jacked up the price. I booked another hotel even though they had increased the cost.

[@thereddaikon]

They still use the old V10 sounds in promotional material. That's all you really need to say about the engine noise.

[@rexthewolf3149]

Actually they use a mix of the v8 v10 and v6 depending on the material.

[@FormulaMonte]

@@rexthewolf3149well aktuhally ahhh reply 🤓

[@nickporter574]

😂😂😂I know, it kills me.

[@BoschVoyage]

Good point

[@hprees1]

I used to work about five miles from Albert Park. When the V10s raced you could not only hear the cars, but they were so loud and so clear you could quickly figure out where on the track they were. Absolute bliss.

[@_NoDrinkTheBleach]

I will never forget the sound and vibration felt during the V10 era in the main grandstand at Indy. The only thing that compares is Top Fuel drag racing, and that's power on a whole different level.

[@JeanSchlemaan]

top fuel is over the top/way too much. i agree with you

[@jamesbowman7963]

Was there also...

[@DominicEleven]

Spot on with the merch. 2014 I bought a Marussia soft shell. The worst team on the grid STILL had top quality merch. And you stand out in Northern Indiana wearing the gear too(in a good way). It’s like a beacon that every f1 in the vicinity sees and attracts.

[@RacinAasen23]

I agree with the other comments about F1 at Indy. The best thing was the noise. It’s hard to put into words how cool the sound of the engines especially when they were heading back onto the main straight! I’ll never forget that.

[@The1ZachJoShow]

You are SPOT ON about the noise. Was in the area on Thursday and could “hear” the cars accelerating down The Strip. As someone who’s been to NASCAR, IndyCar, and IMSA events - the sound is dull. NASCAR even in its muffled state still makes me tingle, IndyCar has a much higher peak, and IMSA with the class variations is pure music. Hopefully the ‘26 regs address this because sound is 1/5 senses and should be excitable by the supposed pinnacle of Motorsport.

[@PaperBanjo64]

I have been to 3 NASCAR races, 1 Gen 6, the other 2 Gen 7, the one thing Gen 7 has in its favor is the rumble of the dual exhaust and the visual appeal of flames spitting out when a driver gets off the throttle.

[@dexterhochstetler3727]

I think it's the MGU, exhaust and fuel flow limit. Indycars sound much more visceral than F1 cars and it's probably the exhaust setup. I heard a lot of the gasses out of the exhaust are actually blowoff from the turbos.

[@MongoJoe7863]

Perhaps I'm in the minority here, but I don't really care about the sound. I'm very much aware of the difference in sound. It just doesn't affect my viewing experience the way it seems to affect others. I love the V10s and such, but I don't need my ears to damn near bleed to have a good time at a race track. 😂

[@The1ZachJoShow]

@@PaperBanjo64 the shifts also sound phenomenal on road courses

[@The1ZachJoShow]

@@dexterhochstetler3727 that makes sense

[@binglamb2176]

I was fortunate enough to attend 3 GPs in Montreal and also 2 FI races in Long Beach (yeah, I am that old). I will never forget the sound of a Ferrari v12 at full song.

[@simonkevnorris]

I agree with the V12s. In the early 1990s Alesi and Berger were quite often the first cars out onto the track. The shriek of their engines could be heard around the track.I I managed to go to 65 races from 1986 through to 2008. In 1995 I went to 11 of the 17 races including the two races in Japan and the last race in Adelaide.

[@jdii5698]

I corner worked a ChampCar race in Houston when they had the Minardi F1X2 2 seater and giving rides. Hearing that V-10 from track side was, yes PAINFUL but 1000% worth it.

[@KosmicHRTRacingTeam]

That have used the white Toyota 2 seater at COTA before and it was insane how much louder it is. In fact the Porsche cup cars are louder than the f1 cars now.

[@aidanross2179]

4:55 as someone who attended their first Indycar race this year at Detroit, hearing the cars coming up to the track then seeing them shoot down into turn 3 and hearing the gnarly sound get ever so closer till it blows your ears out and leaves you with the chills and saying holy shit that was awesome

[@Hackpba]

I also attend the Vegas GP. I was blessed with a strip view room, so I did not get a ticket. I went down to the strip to see the start, I rode up and down an escalator and had a clear view of the track and timed the start perfectly and caught the cars going by. I then went up to my room to see the race both from my window and on the TV lol😂.

[@robbnutter4665]

As far as sound that rattles your insides, you owe it to yourself to attend a NHRA drag race (talk about LOUD! Ten thousand hp EACH does that) - the accessibility to drivers and machines is unmatched as well. I remember when an F1 car revved so high they sounded like two strokes.

[@12micah]

Team identity is something that is really important that IndyCar has no concept of. It is really powerful to look at a car and immediately know what team it is, especially when there are years of history. I root for teams in F1, IMSA, and WEC, but have no attachment for IndyCar.

[@rexthewolf3149]

@@12micah Team identity is something that most of Motorsport struggles with as it often based around the sponsors. And endurance racing often just relies on manufacturers branding which changes from car to car. F1 is the only Motorsport where the teams are just a big as the sponsors.

[@vegasmarc7252]

F1 Academy is coming to the Las Vegas Grand Prix next year. In fact, it's their season finale.

[@Kwik63]

As an engineering geek, I receive that feeling everytime everyone of those 20 machines launch, corner and even crash. The explosion of power, precision and designed kinetic disassembly in crashing (in protection of the driver (frankly pilot)) spikes my intrigue, endorphins and adreneline every race. Even when viewing on F1TV and Multi-Viewer. Hard to watch a race anymore without the multi-viewer experience.

[@rezlevin6424]

multiviewer is great when youre tracking one or several guys

[@cmajaa1]

Racing is about drama and excitement relating to the speed of the cars, the noise of the engine intensifies those feelings.

[@heathermccoy5230]

No it doesn’t.

[@FloridaManRacer]

@@heathermccoy5230 thanks you very much you contrarian douche. Sit down. and be quieter than the engines.

[@Southern-author]

Back when you had to go to a theater [Ticket 7.50 then equals $71.00 now.] to watch the Indy 500, I watched the race when the turbine was introduced by Granatelli in 1967. There were 1200 people watching the race and when the turbine car came to a stop, everyone in the theater broke out in a loud cheer. Even the roar of the cars indoors was special. I grew up in Seattle when Unlimited Hydroplane racing was king. The noise of those WWII aircraft engines was awesome. I took a friend to a race and as soon as heard the roar he told me, I am a fan. Since they have switched to turbines, few people care. Imagine an all electric NASCAR race or an electric drag race.

[@happygster922]

Would probably be better to go to Austin or Montreal if you want a more normal F1 experience.

[@John-zh1ud]

Exactly. Ive been to Austin, but Canada or a European race is what I would want the next race to be.

[@mathiaswilkens5599]

​​@@John-zh1ud Belgium and Monza are awesome

[@DuaneCampbell-p3o]

Our hotel in Montreal is one metro stop from the track. Started going in’96 with Grand Prix Tours. Only Indy Long Beach is easier to access, only have to cross the street.

[@BvG_Venom]

I was working in Vegas this week, so I jumped on the chance to go to my 1st race. I couldn't get a race day ticket only so I had to buy the Caesars weekend pass. $700 for standing room only to see the blur of cars zooming past at your level. It felt like being at the fence at Talladega. Since I didn't have to pay for hotel or airfare, it was reasonable for me. But vegas is a race I definitely recommend watching on TV. For in person, go to Austin or Montreal.

[@PazLeBon]

haha for sure

[@rs660alec]

Miami is very good, I believe it’s better then COTA especially in the grandstands

[@theGGonYT]

I picked up a Grandstand 4 seat in T-Mobile zone for $550 race only. I saw those Caesar’s 3 day tickets and figured the price point would make it a bad experience. I had a blast at the T-Mobile area.

[@BvG_Venom]

@theGGonYT I wasn't sure if I'd have the time to go until the Friday of qualy. So by then, I just had to commit to what I could get. I would've preferred sitting in the front stretch stands so I could see the pit stops.

[@theGGonYT]

@@BvG_Venom I also picked up the tickets on Friday. I was holding out for prices to drop as long as I could and snagged some T-Mobile GA tix at $350. Got an email from StubHub within 5 minutes of purchase informing that the seller can’t deliver product. They offered that ticket to me in exchange. I definitely got a bit lucky there.

[@ElliottNest41]

Cars going through and coming out of turn 17 looked extremely fast on TV. It was my favorite aspect of the broadcast.

[@thomasneubauer9669]

The Ligier JS17B Matra V12 at Long Beach 1982. That sound will never leave you. The howl that engine emitted as it accelerated away from you going down Shoreline Drive was such an aural experience!

[@bigdaddymak1439]

V10s in F1 V8 turbos from 90s in IndyCar best two sounds ever!! Glad you got to go David on my bucket list too! 🏁🏁

[@carypyke935]

I attended every usgp at ims..even the tire debacle...and the scream of v-10 at 18000rpm...something I'll always remember 😊

[@Phuc_Yhou]

The fact that the top 3 drivers to finish go to the podium and the top ten to finish being important to each teams points is what makes F1 appear more involved and gives more fans something to enjoy unlike the selfish only winning matters approach of most American series.

[@thebigguy5590]

What?

[@frevazz3364]

This makes no sense

[@GPaDLA]

I agree. I’m a huge Indy and F1 fan and went to my first f1 race this season (Austin), and I thought Indy cars sound wayyyy better

[@ronbelanger4113]

are you 14?

[@naparacingfan9275]

What needed fixing in F1 was to allow Andretti's bid as an 11th team on the grid. Cadillac got in at least. 2026 will be very interesting for F1.

[@PaperBanjo64]

Yeah but we do get need another Haas we need GM to actually be competitive, I they won't be most likely instantly but they need to be competitive fairly soon.

[@MLP640R]

i went to the inaugural F1 race at COTA, It was AMAZING...2013 went back, AMAZING...I skipped 2014 in protest to the switch to hybrids, decided to go in 2015, it was the last one I will ever go to... absolutely horrible...they sound like blenders to me.

[@ElliottNest41]

It was a fairly entertaining race to watch on TV. I agree, I think it’s a good circuit.

[@brianthomas7037]

the current F1 cars are way too big

[@PaperBanjo64]

Agreed, the cars look great but they need to be lighter and nimbler.

[@ChrisBl33p]

​@@PaperBanjo64 there is a regulation change to be introduced in 2026 that will address that.

[@PaperBanjo64]

@@ChrisBl33p yeah the 2017-2021 cars were too long, the current regs were definitely a step in the right direction, best looking F1 cars since the 90's.

[@golfrick007]

I went to the USGP in 2000. I only made about 2 laps without earplugs. Those V10s were so loud echoing down the front stretch of Indy. The good thing about turning right and left is that even if it rains, they still race. Speaking of tone I could hear the difference in the McLaren cars.

[@Indyslotcar]

I don't understand why they claim they're racing in the US three times in a season to continue to build the American fan base, then schedule one of those races so late at night that no one in the US can watch it live

[@xavier01110]

Nonsense. Americans will watch boxing and ufc late at night, so why not an f1 race? You just seem bitter that your sport is dying and being replaced by F1.

[@brianvenable5350]

F1 is still for the most part on Bernie Ecclestone's model of prioritizing how the race 'show' looks on TV, he couldn't care less how many people went to the races or how much the race promoters made. I think F1 is at a crossroad of continuing this or choosing more accessible venues and catering to race promoters.

[@hprees1]

Theres more cities willing to host races then there are races available. Nothing will be changing.

[@zlm001]

I don’t watch Formula to scratch any type of American itch, I watch it because it’s different from the stuff I grew up watching on TV in the US.

[@S2KEVIN]

You missed out on the V10-V12 era. Whatever you saw, is a farcry of what it used to be.

[@cvillalobos27]

The fact people pays to wear the merchandising shows the success of F1 and the irrelevance of Indycar

[@AdamAllen]

This x100. There's probably more F1 merch purchased in the last year than all of Indycar merch combined over 20 years.

[@1308stewie]

We all miss the v10 and at this point even the v8

[@chrish931]

Yeah, I agree, the sound of race engines screaming adds something but noise is being regulated out of everything. I'm a huge music fan, and a musician. I've been to easily a hundred live music shows over the last 30 years as well as played in a few myself, and in the last 15 years or so, most venues have turned their PA systems way down, the don't allow the musicians to play through their amps by a mic to PA, most venues now make bands run the amps straight through the PA speakers rather than through the amp with a mic to PA, they do that so they can keep the volume down. I can remember seeing bands notorious for being loud like Motorhead and Dinosaur Jr in the 90 and not being able to hear anything but ringing for a couple days, now I can hold a conversation during most live music shows, sure I have to yell, but at one time lip reading was required to talk to a person during a live music show. It doesn't help that people continue to buy property beside places like music venues, civic centers, sports stadiums and race tracks only to complain about the noise of the venues they knowingly moved in next to. That's one reason I don't think F1 or any racing series will willingly go louder these days even though it's what most fans want.

[@johnedwards230]

Agreed on the sound. My first race at Spa in 2000 you could hear the whail through the trees miles away! It was special. Not gone back after 2014. Hybrids really spoilt f1 as a live action event

[@ElliottNest41]

I liked your report. Very thoughtful. I hope you can attend the Miami F1 race sometime soon and give us a comparison.

[@mikehardy1912]

Its good David to see you view things from a different perspective after attending an F1 race. As a Kiwi, our only choice is to travel across the Tamsan to Melbourne each year to the grid prix. Next year will be extremely special with Liam Lawson on the grid and so 2025 will by my 10th year traveling from Auckland to Melbourne for the F1 grid prix. Having spoken to the travel agent who handles my ticketing and booking requirements, he mentioned the demand in New Zealand for Melbourne gp tickets has increased 40% due to Liam Lawson being on the F1 grid. It seems the issues with track and seating access is a Vagas issue as in Melbourne the process is more easier and that's probably due to experience and the track layout. Gold Coast is also easier to move around and to access seating areas but again that's due to experience having been running for a number of decades. I think in a few years time, Vagas would be more experienced and things will be alot easier to get around to access your seats or stands. In relation to the F1 supports, this is were Liberty and Penske should work together and their should be an Indycar element involved even if it's the NXT series. Unfortunately i think this is were American motorsports struggles without a governing body. At Melbourne under the Australia Motorsports governing body you get the Australian supercars as a support category, but you also get Formula Fords, a category you get to see the next generation of talent. Scott Dixon has raced a Formula Ford at the Australian gp and a number of Kiwis from Scott McLaughlin, Shane Van Gisbergen (supercars) to Earl Bamber (formula fords) have all competed at the Australian gp in support categories. If America had a motorsports governing body, you would have the ability to stanchion other American motorsports categories including Formula Fords and you could stack the Vagas gp with a number of local support categories.

[@DavidCormier-er7em]

I meant to add in my last comment but I forgot. In the 90s at the Canadian Grand Prix they had the Canadian Formula Ford support races formula Atlantic support races and the Ferrari cup which was not very entertaining. But they did actually have pretty good support races. What it's like now I don't know I haven't been for quite some time. Just a thought

[@swampede0366]

Nowadays they still have the Ferrari Challenge, and Porsche Cup cars, but sadly dropped the third series (Formula 1600) for the stupid F1 experiences trucks to drive around for those who paid to get driven around the track. Huge bummer that there’s no more 1600s, let alone taking away track time for an entire extra racing series

[@simonkevnorris]

The races in Adelaide and Melbourne were worth attending. If there isn't something on track or in the air it's either the lunch break or a red flag has stopped the session. Silverstone used to be like that (there was a BTCC race after the F1 race) but I've not been to the British F1 race since 1997. I've seen 65 F1 races between 1 986 and 2008. At some events like Spa they had a bicycle race at one stage.I I actually saw Jaques Villeneuve win a race in Montreal in 1993 - sadly it was just the Toyota Atlantic race. I also saw Jean Alesi's only race win also in Montreal.

[@barrettcarpenter1745]

I was about 20 feet from the track at one point, and the cars felt quieter than a GT car. Indycar was louder at 3x that distance. NASCAR was deafening at twice that distance. Hell the F2 cars they used during filming this weekend were nearly as loud. The Red Bull Mclaren P1 was one of the loudest and most echo-y cars of the whole weekend. The actual tone of the sound though was super cool

[@chrissamarotto]

I was too young to watch the V10 USGP but i went to every IMSA race at Lime Rock i could since 2009. In the GTLM days the Porsche RSR, Ford GT and C7 were by far the loudest cars on the track with the Porsche heard all race long. Any time they passed by on No Name, it shaked my insides and sends that tingle thing. I literally smiled the first time i heard it. I just cannot get excited for the quiet sounds that the current engines make. Turbos and low rev limits make it so quiet that the Porsche Cup cars seem loud.

[@camrsr5463]

The march at the Indy 8 hour was lackluster....nothing had the event logo on it.

[@WEBBERSPADE]

David. I'm a Brit, and a long time fan of yours. You NEED to get yourself to Silverstone for the British grand Prix. Yeah British bias blaaaa blaaa, but honestly it's amazing, it's like going to a music festival in the countryside. We need to see your follow up video like this but after the British grand Prix!

[@alicekoppenol-pitti6257]

No shame in having a bias to your home race. Mine is Zandvoort but Silverstone is an all time classic. A pity that it's so expensive.

[@WEBBERSPADE]

@alicekoppenol-pitti6257 I literally bought tickets the moment lockdown ended. When it felt like the world ended in 2020, it was the biggest regret that I'd never been. (I've been an F1 fan for 30 years, pretty much watched every race apart from the early 2000s in the dominant Schumacher era. It was one of the best days of my life, it was the Sainz victory year with all that overtaking!

[@alicekoppenol-pitti6257]

@@WEBBERSPADE some memories you need to make in person right. I can't go to races anymore because of health issues so I really cherish the ones that I went to in the passed

[@MrDrewdubb]

I could hear the whistling of the air over the Aero, that's how unloud they are.

[@darylhitchcock7680]

Merch... I travelled to Indy500 for the 100th, Stayed right downtown, across from the Train Station... Gotta Say... City and vendors sold the week very well... The Event Was Great

[@alistairarchibald1312]

i'd love for them to come back to Indy. I had a whole row to myself at the Sonsio Grand Prix for Indycar this year. I don't think I'd have as much legroom if F1 came back lol. I did try to enjoy the race, the cars are amazing to watch zip around. Fascinating to hear David's insights on the minimal sounds, I don't think I would enjoy that either

[@alistairarchibald1312]

and in the last minutes of the video you raised a good point on no F2 or F3... that might have been one of the better parts of the Sonsio Grand Prix, I got there around noon or something and watched 3 races and left at like 6.... lots of bang for your buck and I loved watching the up and comers and future stars

[@michaelsoper3610]

Thank God you went; my Dr. has me on a strict limit of one parade per year and I already burned that on the parade for the county fair this year.

[@TimiVision1]

Adding to your point about merch, I was in Vegas for the Cup race a month ago, tons of shops from the airport to the mall were carrying F1 gear. The GP was still a month away yet city was already stocked up with tons of F1 stuff, even saw quite a few folks in Red Bull gear. Again, this was during the week NASCAR was in town. I guess despite the faults this race has it shows just how much of a pulse F1 has on this market.

[@PaperBanjo64]

I saw a chick at Bristol last year nowhere near F1 wearing a Ferrari hat to the night race

[@PazLeBon]

that t.v ball thing bloody amazing, my new fav thing. that f1 race was amazing, sooooooo fast! and i love the tech. make our cars like russian ladas

[@scrooge201]

Spot on opinions as always David. I especially agree with you on the merch aspect of f1. Even the Mercedes Tommy Hilfigure gear that the teams wears you can’t buy. You are just stuck with some “replica” jersey with a cheap color collar in the style of Tommy, but it’s not even a Tommy shirt. I would 100% pay the premium price to buy the official gear. In other sports the give the option to by replica or buy the real kit. Wish f1 would do the same.

[@tylerensminger]

I liked a lot of what David had to say. Very unbiased and honest. F1 is a juggernaut at merchandise and advertising though it seems the smaller teams are lacking support in that area. I also agree with the Vegas GP I'm terms of the track and action though last year I think was better than this years race. Not sure the whole event itself is worth it but we'll see in the long run. The noise doesn't bother me as much though I agree it should be louder than it is if its not even as loud as current IndyCar which i think strikes a good balance between between not too loud to damage hearing but also loud enough to give a sense of that feeling David was talking about

[@ConorDaly22]

Did I keep you entertained via the PA system, David?

[@DavidLand91]

@@ConorDaly22 you and Varsha are the real MVPs

[@ConorDaly22]

@ he’s the man!

[@paulcooper5200]

Went to see NASCAR and loved the sound, and spectacular was great… difficult to compare apples and pears comes to mind..

[@srb2834]

F1 (*even indycar to a smaller extent) should aim to make the cars sound like the Porsche RSR GTLM car from a few season ago. That thing put a smile on my face everytime it passed me at Daytona and it was only a 6 cylinder. Bringing back the screaming engine sound would elevate modern open wheel racing a ton.

[@frevazz3364]

Easily those Porshes were the loudest thing out there

[@srb2834]

@ they were glorious.

[@frevazz3364]

@@srb2834 it was crazy watching the Porsche and BMW racing each other for the win last 3 hours, the loudest car vs the quietest car 😂😂

[@evanssego7647]

As someone who used to spend a lot of time in Vegas, the merchandise was everywhere for NASCAR at one point. They had stores dedicated to NASCAR merchandise, die cast, etc. Heck they even had a NASCAR cafe, official store and a roller coaster ride at the Sahara. Vegas rides the waves of the latest and greatest thing and now F1 has replaced NASCAR in town in terms of merchandise you can get in Vegas.

[@aebking]

As far as merchandise, I completely agree, best example i can think of is the fact that as many times as Chase Elliott as won the most popular driver award,i can't honestly say I've seen him in any Napa commercials

[@PaperBanjo64]

He's been in them but they only showed him winning a race, he actually was in Mountain Dew commercials.

[@aebking]

@@PaperBanjo64 yeah but how many years ago was that? Rhetorical obviously, back in the 90s and 2000s every commercial break would have at least to drivers in the commercials

[@PaperBanjo64]

@@aebking 2018 I recall seeing the Mountain Dew commercials, the Napa commercials are fairly recent

[@PaperBanjo64]

@@aebking I miss drivers in commercials there were funny ones

[@aebking]

@@PaperBanjo64 many of them!!!

[@KosmicHRTRacingTeam]

1. Sound. I attend COTA every year and usually attend Long Beach. This if first time I went to LVGP. If you think the sound is quiet here, in COTA Its much more quiet. The walls and buildings and stands make it much louder. COTA isn't even close. 2. Merch. I have a TON of F1 merch. The only Indycar merch I have is an Alonso Indycar shirt. Why? Why am I going to buy a shirt that looks boring and the sponsors and colors will change week to week!!!! There is no brand recognition!! Gone are the days like when Indycar had team colors like with Ganassi Vasser/Zenardi type situation. 3. Food isn't usually included. This is unique to LV. 4. Other racing for weekend. So at COTA there are a lot more support races. A lot more. Probably because there is nothing to do in the outskirts of Austin (it isn't in the city and it takes a ton of time to get in and out of). You need to get to COTA and then maybe compare that to a dedicated Indycar race. It's even hard to compare LBGP to LV because. 1. LV is very unique city. 2. It's comparing a night race with a day race. So that's a tough comparison as well.

[@KosmicHRTRacingTeam]

Also. The Porsche cup and the formula "historics" cars are louder than F1 at COTA

[@rs660alec]

You should go to miami. I go to COTA every year since ‘17 and find miami the best of both worlds of what you just described.

[@Dashriprock4]

I've been to a race or two from every single major series that races in the United States. The best experiences I've had were Petite LeMans and Sebring. I enjoyed formula 1 at Indy also.

[@PaperBanjo64]

I hope you had a great time in Vegas at the grand prix.

[@scottmeredith3359]

I’ve been a huge F1 fan for about six years now and I will say that F1 is what got me into Sim racing and eventually all the other forms of racing I love now, like IndyCar and sports car racing. It does introduce people to other motorsports. You’re right about sponsors too. I don’t know if I should be embarrassed about this, but I’ll deliberately buy products from companies that have F1 deals to support the companies involved. I’ve been to COTA for F1 in 2021 and it sounds very different from your experience, but my wife and I got way more into merch than I thought we would… we bought about $500 worth at that race 😆 Edit: Some of the things “hardcore” fans of other series dislike about F1 are the same things those other series could and should be doing if they want to see the same kind of boom in popularity

[@onetripwonders]

It was a great race in moments for sure. It's always better on TV except for being close to the start line and watching the chaos. I know what you mean about the sound, but I find you can hear the throttle moves better, the aero sounds cool, and you can talk to the people you're with. We were on the main straight at the Indy 500 and my senior father had to take a 20 lap break because the sound was too much for him. The loud engines ain't comin' back dude. The best sounding cars are the support races like Porsche supercup.

[@ElectraProducts]

Austin F1 track COTA is purpose built and a much better fan experience.

[@DavidCormier-er7em]

My very first big league race was the Daytona 500 in 1979 I was 15. Merch was okay my next big races were the Toronto Molson Indy in the late 80s twice merch was okay. In the '90s I went to the Molson Indy five times the Canadian Grand Prix six times and four different NASCAR tracks couldn't tell you how many times. in the 90s merch was amazing it was everywhere. In the late 2000s I noticed merch just fell away the last big race I was at was in 2008 and merch was non-existent. Don't know what it's like right now but man I sure do miss the 90s. The racing and the merch. thanks for your Insight I always enjoy your show.

[@alecerdmann8505]

I haven't thoroughly researched this or anything, but I believe I've heard that the Canadian GP is significantly cheaper than any of the 3 US races. That might be a better choice for someone checking it off of their motor racing bucket list.

[@JeanSchlemaan]

if i was forced to choose out of the 4, it would easily be canada.

[@DanielOLeary]

This is a quality review. Thank you for taking the time to put it out.

[@bern7851]

I believe the situation with the merch is that there’s only three races left in the season. I think every team is getting new drivers so it would be a waste to keep printing merch with such little time left in the season.

[@darrylkraatz1482]

I would also consider the current IndyCar noise weak as compared to my first in person experience in 1993. It just doesn’t compare either. It’s disappointing but a reality of our current environment with manufacturers and budgets.

[@ricosn3662]

Amazing review I wish Indy car drivers got more recognition stroll should not be in that seat at all get Alex in it and pato should not be the only Indy car talent the f1 world knows about

[@PaperBanjo64]

Yeah Lance Stroll has no business in F1...his F3 championship was a farce...daddy's money only gets him so far...no other owners would take him so he has to drive for daddy's team...Williams had him they didn't want him anymore

[@Corvoreviews]

I will just say one thing: don't go watch a f1 race expecting a tight battle at the front, it is not the norm, f1 is the pinnacle of engeneering so discrepancies between cars are to be expected, if you go with that in mind you have a bigger chance of being surprised rather than be unsatisfied because the race was a one man show, about the merch, I don't know if thihs is still the case but some years ago a friend of mine told me that all merch stores were run by the teams themselves and if wanted to get the best deals you should wait about one hour after the race because the teams would sell then cheap just to not have to send them back to europe (I'm brazilian by the way) so that would explain why there were still merch being soild the day after since the race was at night, about ticket prices, f1 always was expensive, for example in this year just to race day, the ticket here in brazil costed about R$900, with the same amount you could by a wec ticket wich gave you access to the 3 days of the event with permission to get walk around the pits when racing activities were off.

[@Koopzilla24]

I had the fortune to attend the Montreal GP back in June and without the support series the experience would've been a little lackluster. I was sat in T3 and it was legitimately difficult to hear the F1 cars until they got to the wall of champions. But when the Porsche Supercup was running, you could hear them from off the island and they shook your core when passing the stands. Despite being much slower they were much more thrilling to watch and have encouraged me to go to an IMSA race

[@colewhittaker3976]

I've always bought all of my merch online. I went to the USGP in '22 and '23 and merch was always ruinously expensive. Legit $120 for a hat at the Red Bull tent

[@PaperBanjo64]

Ouch I wouldn't pay that much!

[@KosmicHRTRacingTeam]

The trick is to buy it online first. Amazon will have a hat for $25-50 and then you see it at the race for $100-125. 3 years ago hats were $50-75 (75 for limited edition). Now they start at $100. It's insane the increase in pricing.

[@frevazz3364]

I don’t get how people pay that much for hats, tshirts etc.

[@PaperBanjo64]

@frevazz3364 yeah you gotta be making a lot of money

[@frevazz3364]

@@PaperBanjo64 some people wearing those don’t make that much lol

[@Smwsomatose]

Peak DL vid, well done, sir.

[@unlimitedcaseman]

I don't know, I was in the background when Driven was being filmed at Chicago Motor Speedway...

[@magicmax7578]

15:55 my favorite experience when i attended silverstone 2023 (my first f1 race) was going to every merch shop at the track searching for a fernando alonso hat i'd seen, and then finding it under a pile of stroll hats at the last stand i checked.

[@bukwok]

loud engine and exhaust sound, you literally can feels the sound wave punching through in your chest, the burning rubber and fuel smell sometime make you feeling dizzy and the heart rate increasing ,all of these sense not a pain or unpleasant but totally joyful, that only in person can experience , about the volume of sound ,if watching on TV, no side by side for comparison , no one notice the volume difference between v10 ,v8 and v6 hybrid. and the engine sound wave punching through in your chest feeling hard to use words to describe,in personal experience that gave me the closest or similar feeling is those big asss Marshall full stack guitar amplifier volme up to 11 with a gibson les paul hit a simple G chord.

[@aidanross2179]

0:05 THIS IS OUR COLTS THIS IS OUR TEAM WE BLEED BLUEEE THIS IS OUR COLTS WHETHER WIN OR LOSE WE LOVE THEMMMMM FOR THE SHOE BEAT THE BEARS LETS BEAR DOWN ON THEM THIS IS OUR TEAM GO COLTSSS NEIGH 🐴

[@bjs7442]

First a very considered report and not what I was expecting from David. First in 2026 the sound of the cars will be a lot better as it is a requirement in the spec of the new engine. Cars developed in the last 15 years are actually cars developed this year. I never thought I would hear David say he liked a development series and we need more as Indycar is supposed to be better because it isnt one. I dont think there will be more US races because of the demand worldwide for F1 and places like Africa do not have a race at the moment. Merch sells because of Drivers who are superstars and they drive mainly for the top teams. Such as Max, Charles , Lewis and Lando. As a Brit I go to Silverstone and to me that is a better race , proper track and massive crowds but we all have our favorites. I agree I dont want F1 to be Americanised. Part of its allure is that it isnt American.

[@billgulker6187]

I’m an older guy and have been to many F1 races in many different countries. My first F1 race was 1982 in Detroit. We drove our RV up from Columbus Ohio on Thursday night and simply parked next to the fence along a straight. We paid nothing for tickets or parking all weekend. The paddock was in cobo hall and open to all. Different times.

[@stuartkinzel8195]

I would love to go to an F1 and Indy race, but the ticket prices, especially F1, are higher than my cheapskate behind can justify. Maybe someday.

[@PaperBanjo64]

Yeah I'm cheap too, I'd love to go see IndyCar if they ever come back to Kentucky Speedway.

[@kellybanks804]

I second this. The ticket prices are wayyyy to high for the average person to afford. Especially with the cost of living the way it is right now.

[@JeanSchlemaan]

target indy race, especially the 500. do not attend an f1 race (obv my opinion)

[@josephblommel1888]

You need to get over it and just go. You can’t take $ with you when you go, and you’ll regret not going.

[@ronbelanger4113]

F1 is not craving the broke fan.

[@loglemz2070]

I had a similar issue of no water at the F1 GP at Cota with them running out of water. Great experience, but it was so hot that they ran out of water and I couldn't find some merch that I wanted.

[@Justin666i]

I went to a Bahrain race when I was deployed over there

[@WildWolfGT]

One thing i love about Indycar...The cars sound great in person, are loud, but not in that way, i need ear plugs. Been to Long Beach over a dozen times. The sound when the Indycars hit the track just made me smile everytime. When i saw F1 in 2019. It was very dull, cars were fast true, but 100 percent agree, the lack of the visceral sound is a real bummer.

[@Montgomery_N_Pottichen04]

Off topic question: Any update about the new Dallara IR-27 chassis?

[@MWPompert]

Having been to F1 races in the V10 and the V6 hybrid era, yes of course the sound is rather mute, especially as the F2 cars were much more impressive to hear as a support series as well. However with F1 having gone to so many street circuits I do wonder if going back to noisier engines is gong to give more friction with locals in the city that will not like the extra decibels. Can be a tactic to return to proper race tracks instead of course but then your audience is potentially smaller as well. tricky place to be.

[@PaperBanjo64]

Street courses can never beat proper race tracks!

[@MWPompert]

@ indeed, although I had a soft spot for places like Surfer’s Paradise in the CART/Indycar calendar back in the day

[@GTRain]

Hot take on the sound: I think the exhaust might be better as quiet as it is. Doesn’t mask some of the unique elements like the wastegate noise from the Ferrari and if the tone of the sound isn’t great to begin with, making it louder isn’t an automatic improvement if you ask me. To pull in from sports car racing, the 499P could be the loudest race car in the world and it wouldn’t sound any better than it does now.

[@Dreded100]

I think the reason they didn't have much for support races is because they had to open the track up during the day for normal use. Most F1 weekends have a lot more support categories, but they also are the only thing happening there for the weekend. Vegas still had to be Vegas during the day, and become an F1 circuit at night.

[@JB22.]

Interesting to hear a different perspective as some who’s attended the British gp 4 times in the last 10 years. 100% agree on sound. The formula 2 and 3 cars sound significantly louder than the f1 cars and in 2022 they had a 1999 car which alone was louder than the whole f1 field. Ticket prices have started to go insane. 10 year’s ago a grandstand ticket for a weekend was less than £200 but now they’re charging £750 for the same ticket. I won’t be attending again if the tickets stay at that price. As for merch there’s tons of merch at Silverstone for all teams and there’s sales on a merch from a few years ago normally although it’s all about double what it costs online. Support series were great every time I went. F1, f2, f3, w-series and Porsche super cup meant racing from 10am to 6pm.

[@smittysmitty481]

I’m a F1 fan & have been to COTA to see a Grand Prix. In my option, the overall experience at an Indycar race is way better, from a racing fan experience.

[@simonkevnorris]

Not all F1 races are the same. In both Adelaide and Melbourne if there is nothing on track or in the air it's either the lunch break or there's been a red flag. In Adelaide there was a concert in the evening after the race (you just needed a race ticket). In 1993 it was Tina Turner. At one point she sung "Simply the Best" and Senna appeared on stage.

[@smittysmitty481]

@@simonkevnorris I hear you & you are correct. What I love about an Indycar is that every race has multiple race lead changes, pit strategies, much better sounding engines, & you can get in & out of most of the races easily. You also have easier access to drivers & a normal Indycar ticket does not cost $700, like F1

[@simonkevnorris]

@@smittysmitty481 The $700 ticket is insane - I've been to 65 F1 races and never paid that for a weekend including accommodation although I must confess I don't know how much I paid for the 1995 Pacific GP at Aida! My last GP was 2008 though. Quite often I would go General Admission although I've had a fair share of grandstand seats. Only once at Silverstone in 1997 for the last time I went there. Before then the seats in the north part of the track (where the pits used to be) was £150 and all the rest were £100. In 1997 there was once price and it wasn't £100. At Silverstone if you could get onto the track on the Thursday you could get into the pitlane and then through a garage into the paddock. I have a mate from Cleveland (Ohio) who had a full press pass (pit, paddock and track) in Portugal in 1990 and he offered it to me on the Saturday! I was in the pit lane for the morning session and went trackside int he afternoon. I managed to get Senna to autograph my program after qualifying had started (he never went out until 30 minutes into the session). I've been to a number of CART races in the past and when I went to Gateway in 2000 (as part of a trip to the Indy F1 race) I paid for a paddock access (it wasn't expensive) and ended up having a chat with some team guys about the Hanford Device. Indycar is more of a spec formula given they all use the same chassis and have a choice of two engines. The field is closer. I enjoy watching Indycar though! The F1 engine sounds have changed over the years. My first race was in Adelaide in 1986 with the Turbos. People go on about the V10s but in the early 1990s there were a few V12s on the grid. Quite often Alesi and Berger in Ferraris were the first out on track. At places like Monza and Spa-Francorchamps you could hear the V12s shriek around the track!

[@BoschVoyage]

David, if you haven’t been to COTA, make a trip there for a F1 race. It’s a special place and amazing race. Sit in the turn 12 grandstands.

[@gogulankamaleswaran7795]

It's safe to say, F1 is officially in their Super Boom era and I'm here for it. This coming from a long time fan.

[@theGoogol]

More decibels means scrapping certain street tracks. F1 is a technological sport and the technology of this century leans towards green. If you're there for the sound, you're not there for the racing but for the spectacle.

[@edincanada]

I feel the same way. A reminder that it is a far greater engineering feat to make a car that does not waste energy making noise than it is to make a noisy car.

[@jeremylaynerogers]

On the noise, I'm of two minds here. My head says that noise is a waste product - it is energy you didn't turn into speed. Didn't we all envision the future as super fast vehicles that made just a little whirring noise? But I know a lot of motor racing fans relate on an emotional level, which starts with the noise. Some part of our reptile brains thinks a loud engine is a wild animal being tamed. On attending F1, I would say it's worth it once. Seeing the cars is amazing, they can corner and change directions and brake like nothing else. But the value for money just isn't there - go to IMSA and you get 1000x the access for 1/100 of the price. Merch is truly outrageous - I went to Bathurst and got three t-shirts for 120 AUD and I saw a hat available for 5 AUD. A single F1 shirt is like 80 USD and the hats start at 40 USD.

[@smokeybandit9760]

19:46 I guess because the race is in the dessert? Idk 😂

[@DuvJones]

Better than a parking lot.

[@TJRoss7000]

Las Vegas late November pretty cold and dry humidity. I mean look at some of Kym Illman‘s shots, especially the one of helmet Marco.

[@badbilly1083]

What’s the motivation of F1’s “canceling” of Michael Andretti? I don’t understand what part he played in GM being denied F1 entry last year. Now once he stepped down from a leadership position they are accepted with open arms.

[@Bill-yo6kw]

Right, they gotta open up the exhaust 👍 Isn't that woody sound the carbon fiber exhaust etc??

[@wixard7]

You should go to the NASCAR Chicago street race next year.

[@peters5333]

Dave. You should buy some Detroit Lions merch. Go with a winner.