Why F1 Drivers Are Switching to IndyCar

In recent years there has been a surge of ex Formula 1 driver's, who've shown interest in joining IndyCar. But why all of a sudden, is IndyCar being considered a good career choice, for Formula 1 based drivers? And what is IndyCar offering that Formula 1 can't?
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[@kenzighost7004]

I'm a huge F1 fan. But it is (and always has been) a billionaire boys club. If you don't have a BIG sponsor behind you (or a billionaire daddy) you're not going to make it, no matter how good you are.

[@markymarknj]

QFT!

[@randygravel2057]

Huge F1 fan. That’s just sad

[@robimedina2979]

@@randygravel2057 he/she can choose what he/she is a fan of or not, no?

[@eac1235]

As true as that is ,getting into Indy cars is not exactly for the working man. Hell even NASCAR is prohibitively expensive, well to be competitive.

[@tifthetif6567]

That is almost for all type of racing...

[@rcsouth]

IndyCar fan since the 70s. So nice to see it back in the spotlight. There is nothing like sitting in Turn 4 and watching 33 cars take the Green Flag at 220 mph.

[@Metam-nl8hv]

Another cool thing about Indycar is often how close you can get to the track I will never forget (ok it was Champ Car at SAN JOSE I HAD MY FINGERS IN the wire fence my feet about 4 feet from the Tarmac for the rolling start the cars ccme down like a Squadron of Fighter JETS like 180mph BLOWING HATS OFF of fans heads then the cars would stpp on a dime for a tight right hairpin I STILL REMEMBER a guy behind me saying 'holy Shiiitt!!"

[@schweckles]

Yo I sit in Grandstand J. Where are you?

[@eac1235]

@@Metam-nl8hv Now that sounds like a great time!!

[@jacobmassey3897]

And then go round in formation for 4 hours 😂

[@jacobmassey3897]

​@@Metam-nl8hvthat's great until a car comes flying into the fence and seriously injures or kills spectators. F1 has realised this danger and moved the fans away from the fences while still providing most of them with decent views of the track.

[@FMZown]

The title suggests the drivers are choosing to leave, usually they stay until no one will offer them a contract. Its probably mostly because of the money, but i agree alot of the drivers at the back of the grid would have more fun in indy

[@LPKelly380]

Exactly. This video is absolute nonsense.

[@callmeshaggy5166]

I honestly can't think of one driver to say "no thanks" to f1 to drive in indycar.

[@johnsmith-ko8vq]

@@callmeshaggy5166 money probably main reason.

[@triplecrownracing]

If it were any other series, the significant driver turnover within the F1 ladder might have the organisers concerned. But Formula 1 isn’t like other series and can afford to break well established rules that, if other series broke, would most likely see them cease to exist in its entirety. I must say, it is great that these drivers are getting a genuine opportunity, and I think the Motorsport community is beginning to realise that IndyCar isn’t just a series for F1 rejects, but a host for the very best that got screwed over by the driver market. Great video! Enjoyed this one.

[@cooltwittertag]

The only people turning over to Indy are the ones that didn't get a seat in F1. All drivers going to Indy habe lost their seat, calling this a "significant driver turnover" is stretching it. It's not like there's really any flexibility on the number of drivers in F1.

[@anthonyw5261]

Well said 👏 👌 👍

[@nicestoriesnottherealstori3006]

Eh, in the U.S. is basically considered second to NASCAR in the grand scheme of things despite everything.

[@arranmc182]

@@cooltwittertag IndyCar cant be that bad back in the day Manson was supposed to do 2 seasons in Indycar but the FIA helped out a team to buy out his IndyCar contract with extra money that Manson couldnt say n too

[@arranmc182]

@@nicestoriesnottherealstori3006 Rating are growing for IndyCar the last few years, what held indy back for years was the huge split with CART & IRL made it hard for casuals to get in to the soprt

[@tesseract_uk]

Mclaren’s presence and Pato O’Ward (in my opinion) being one of the most exciting drivers in the world had me watching the 30 minute highlights of indy last year. but Grosjean move had me watching races live even if they’re on very late in the uk. US f1 fans i now feel your pain!

[@markymarknj]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@AxeLeven]

Pato has me hooked with IndyCar. I hope he can make a move to F1 soon!

[@ststst981]

Im so glad Grosjean is staying in Indycar. He said he loves it, he performs very well, and his last season at Haas was terrible and he said the car had so many technical issues and performed badly

[@JohnViguerie]

OWard Yes - LMP killer

[@jacobmassey3897]

F1 dosent need American audiences. Liberty Media just keeps pushing for more terrible US races like in the 80s because they're run by Americans themselves ffs.

[@Funcore]

🙋‍♂Watch Ford 2006 GT playlist - Asphalt 8 Airborne kzbin.info/www/bejne/nJfPg3aBgcmVr9k

[@aaronmachado13]

I think this whole “ couldn’t cut in F1” proves Romain point, most these drivers follow F1 their whole lives and so obviously that’s where they’re more likely to go as well as the bigger paycheck. The highest paid Indycar driver doesn’t even hold a candle to what the average F1 driver makes so it’s less about racing and more external factors. If these drivers followed Indycar at that impressionable of an age than it would be completely different story. For every Lewis and Sebastian who come out the gate swinging with moderately decent equipment, there’s 20 Pascal Wehrlein, Stoffel Vandoorne and Alexander Rossi. The way I equate it to is when you’re 7 and you see Mario Andretti slinging his car around Indy than you wanna emulate that whereas if you’re 7 and you see Ayrton Senna with one hand on the steering wheel around monaco you’re more likely to go there

[@markymarknj]

Unless you're a Simon Pagenaud who simply wanted to race professionally; he didn't care where he had to go to do that. He was willing to go wherever he could make that happen, and it turns out that IndyCar offered him that opportunity.

[@PaganWolf30]

Lot of Americans who want to race open wheel cars like the cars in Indycar and the F1 cars. We tend to go to Indycar due to how hard it is for us Americans to get a seat in an F1 car. It's much easier for us to get a seat in a Indycar.

[@magnusmunch2116]

An f1 driver starts out with around 1 million dollars a year. But the median sallery is around 10 million

[@24escalade]

Indycar is about the driver in the car and not what car the driver is in like F1

[@aperson5062]

F1 is a manufacturers series first, then drivers compete mostly with their teammates. There is almost no direct driver competition between Bottas and Russell on track and comparing them has to involve "relative to their equipment and teammate" comparisons. But it is also exciting to watch Mercedes vs Red Bull and McLaren vs Ferrari. IndyCar is a drivers championship and the teams matter less. Yes, Grosjean moving from Coyne to Andretti will give him a better car. The Penske vs Andretti vs McLaren is there, but the majority of the drivers in the field have a car and team that can win. So as a driver, that is appealing.

[@Charlemagne89]

McLaren coming aboard is definitely interesting. Definitely poised to challenge the Big Three teams and I really enjoy how other drives who aren't rich/connected enough to get to F2/F1 at all or in top teams are being given opportunities to flourish here. Look at what guys like Rossi, Rosenqvist, Sato and Ericsson have accomplished. Grosjean hasn't had a fair shake in F1 since 2013 and frankly his explosive crash in 2020 was a bit of a metaphor for being stuck at the back of the F1 grid with a toxic team anyway. Indycar is on an upward-trending arc and the whole Phoenix story thing is just another ace in Indycars hole. It will only get better with time and I'm excited for what is coming next. I just hope the series/tracks can accommodate 30+ cars otherwise we'll have to start sending cars home! Only 20 cars in F1? RIP!

[@saber-jocky3436]

Actually, I think sending cars home is a good thing. It shakes things up. Makes teams put more on the line for qualifying which can affect race setup and strategy. It forces the multi-car teams to put more effort into their development rides, which could possibly take resources away from their top runners. More competition is never really a bad thing, especially for us fans.

[@WEBBERSPADE]

Honestly, after Alonso's first effort at the Indy 500, I now watch all of the Indy car oval races. It's something so different to F1 or any other Motorsport I watch.

[@fallenscsl]

grosjean was a back marker in f1 and now he's ranked 6th in the indy series, it tells me f1 is way more competitive and harder to keep your seat cause the market for drivers are more talented.

[@Timinator62]

Most of the Top F1 drivers were signed up with the major Teams as kids racing Karts, other F1 drivers have come to Indy and failed, Nigel did GREAT 1 year, Rossi almost made it to #1 a few years back, Sato won Indy 500 twice, racing is all about Money and most of all LUCK.

[@PeterKKraus]

He wasn't a backmarker with Lotus. He was with Haas.

[@gwcrispi]

So wrong. Put Romain in a Mercedes and he'd do fine.

[@fallenscsl]

@@gwcrispi nope, on a good day he couldn't even beat russel in a williams, it is known. Kmag was the more consistant driver that wasn't binning his car. You really think merc didn't see his debut year in renault with fernando as his teammate? or on lotus how he got a race ban that took fernando and hamilton out of the points vs vettel? what he's known for is how many turn one incidents he was involved in lol

[@fallenscsl]

he does make good crash montages though

[@v10mclaren]

I’ve been a big F1 fan since the 90’s and honestly… Indycar is the better series at the moment. Sure F1 cars are incredible machines but the quality of the racing has been awful. F1 may have one or two good races a season while Indycar puts on an incredible show every round.

[@donovanbeuke]

agreed

[@matpk]

@@donovanbeuke Indycar needs 27races in2022. Not 17

[@captainjosue]

Totally agree. I've been an F1 fan since 1998 but I have to admit and i know F1 fans don't like criticism about their sport but Indycar is just much more exciting and has a better level playing field. F1 races are just parades and boring. However, this season has been an exception since Red Bull has taken the fight to Mercedes but even still doesn't change the fact that passes are few and lead changes are minimal. Indycar, you just need to watch and appreciate. There's a more even playing field and closer. I love F1 but Indycar...oh man I love the indycar series

[@james-cq4bn]

Nah its because they could no longer get a drive in f1 that's why they went to indycar its next best thing

[@xriz8409]

I also prefer the ease of access... why not have one car or 3 cars in a team? talents get more chance to shine... sad for F1

[@BSNFabricating]

It reminds me of the Pre-IndyCar split days of the '80s and early '90s, when drivers like Emerson Fittipaldi and Nigel Mansell made the switch... Of course Emmo was retired from F1 by then, but came to IndyCar (CART at the time) and had a very successful second career, winning a championship and several races, including two Indy 500s. Mansell came to CART as the reigning World Champion, and was successful right off the bat in '93. F1 will always be the "ultimate" level of racing, but as a longtime IndyCar fan, it's great to see the series finally regaining the ground it lost during all those years of shooting itself in the foot.

[@Marine450x]

I wouldn't say they "shit themselves in the foot". Tony George injected a poison pill in a series that was going global and about to over shadow F1 which was terrible to watch racing. I've always wondered if Bernie "encouraged" Tony?

[@Joe_Blow_]

@@Marine450x Both of y'all are kind of discounting the effect that Dan Weldon's death had on the sport. While IndyCar was NO WHERE CLOSE to it's peak at his death, it was coming back and on the upwards trend, the future was looking bright. The Vegas race that took Dan Weldon from us was the most watched IndyCar race since the 90s, and I still don't think it's recovered to that even now. That turned a lot of people off to the sport, granted the civil war within IndyCar that followed didn't help matters either, but that was in large part an effect of Weldon's death. It took a decade, but it genuinely seems like IndyCar finally has their shit together now and is finally on that surge back to relevancy.

[@chrispraz877]

It's nice that Indycar is not only a great place for former F1 drivers, but this new wave of young drivers from the European formula series is fantastic. Looks like greedy F1 team owners will only allow 10 teams. Their loss is Indy's gain.

[@Gameman1977]

I love playing F1 games and love to watch Indycar on TV best of both worlds.

[@Cbazz]

I've only recently gotten into Indycar (2020) & F1 (2021) Personally for me F1 is very interesting to watch but I'd prefer Indycar tbh Mainly because I'm from America so I don't have to wake up at random times just to watch a Mercedes beat the field by like 20+ seconds Indycar has really great competition & has had it ever since the 1960's yes I'm fully aware there are some absolute snooze fests in Indycar but they are so rare In fact this season only 1 race in Indycar really was just flat out boring Laguna Seca & even then we still had a close championship battle & Grosjean being a madlad the whole time Another thing I personally like about indycar over F1 is the variety of tracks they go to F1 primarily goes to Road Courses & Street Circuits while indycar goes to the former as well as ovals & the oval races are extremely good for the most part (except Texas) & The biggest advantage that indycar has over F1 for me personally NO STUPID ASS FIA 😂

[@Aj85234480]

Haven't been a fan of both series for a year on average makes you a bona fide expert !! Wow impressive dissertation. F1 is class. IndyCar is redneck country. It feels like IROC. (You, in spite of being the automotive expert that you are, might have to Google that though).

[@LuckyBird551]

@@siivagunnerwannabe1099 please leave your American Excepcionalism mentality at the door. I had enough racism for a decade.

[@mountainbutterz6331]

As a f1 fan I am very much enjoying Indy car racing.

[@Kyle86910]

Indycar equals a talent based series where F1 equals a financially and politically backed series. So if top drivers want pure racing they will go to Indycar

[@CharlesAgajanian]

@T B He said "if top drivers want pure racing" not if they want a fatter paycheck.

[@j_obaymaac2886]

@T B Paul Tracy turned down an path to F1 in favor of staying in IndyCars... Colton Herta and many other great IndyCar drivers have stated that they have no intention of going from battling for championships to running for last positions in F1.

[@acog_quarks8753]

Indycar is probably the series with the most driver talent. Those guys need to master 3 different disciplines of asphalt racing while driving at 180-240mph.

[@eggmaster1233]

Indycar is for the drivers who cant make it to the spotlight of F1. Simple lol

[@bjs7442]

@@j_obaymaac2886 Well it is rumoured that Andretti is thinking of taking over an F1 team ,.Shame that Colton Herta has said he wont drive F1 but then he hasnt got a super license to be eligible to race F1 anyway. He says together with other Indycar drivers apparently he is not prepared to be going from battling for championships to running for last positions in F1. That's honesty from him knowing where he would be in an F1 race

[@davidreichert9392]

IndyCar would do well to expand its schedule to a greater number of countries to broaden its appeal. Right now, other than one race in Canada, all the races are in the USA. Try expanding through Mexico and South America, then Australia and New Zealand.

[@markymarknj]

That's an interesting idea! I could definitely go for more races in Canada and Mexico... 😄

[@RRaquello]

​@@markymarknj They've had a lot of races in Canada over the years. They raced also in Vancouver and Edmonton, if I remember correctly, and an Australian race used to be an annual fixture, and seemed to be very popular. They might get back to that.

[@Marine450x]

@@RRaquello They used to race in Brazil, Mexico, Australia, Japan, UK, Germany & Canada (and US) all in the same year. In fact CART, as it was known as then, was just about to eclipse F1. Then mysteriously a civil war tore it apart for the past 20 years. I can help but think F1 (Ecclestone) didn't juice Tony George on to poison CART.

[@RRaquello]

​@@Marine450x I think CART suffered from a delusion they could eclipse Formula One, but they never were going to do it. One proof is when Villeneuve won the championship, CART tried to keep him in the fold, but he didn't hesitate to jump to F1. I was a fan of CART and thought the racing was better and more entertaining than F1, but all it ever was was a national series, even if they raced in different countries. I think their ambitions to become a rival to Formula One hurt them. They never really meant anything in any country besides the US and maybe Canada.

[@danw1951]

Teams aren’t well heeled to fund this so the series must find sponsors or governments willing to pay for travel for the teams. These opportunities have dried up most recently in Australia, Japan, Mexico and Canada. To race in these places again means manufacturers would need to get support for local races like they did at Motegi. Or, governments and sponsors would need to step in and subsidize the enormous bill. In any way you’ll need heavy marketing, including local-hero try drivers, and lucrative TV contracts to guarantee the kind of ROI needed to stage such an event. There are plenty of locations outside the US that would be fantastic. But there are immense roadblocks in the way that don’t make sense for INDYCAR to try to remove.

[@spiralmoment]

nobody switches. that's just where you go when you loose your seat in f1, if you get the chance.

[@aleks1105]

If it would as easy as Formula 1 to watch IndyCar, I would be watching for years now.

[@DKMediaTV]

Yeah, IndyCar viewing outside of the USA is very difficult, they recently got on sky sports F1 but I don't know if they have that where you live

[@rns_nickitoloko_psn5775]

@@DKMediaTV thank god here in Brazil we kinda have both indy and F1 on Open TV channels. In the Early Years F1 was transmitted by TV Bandeirantes or "Band" as it's commonly called. Then Globo bought the rights to F1 in the early 80's and stayed with it until 2020. IndyCar entered Brazil when Emerson Fittipaldi went to race there. It was transmitted by TV Manchete, under the name Formula Indy, then, late 80's/early 90's, it went to SBT under the name of Formula Mundial, then to "Band" as Formula Indy again and it stayed there for until 2019 or 2020. Now we have Indy along with Formula E on TV Cultura and now Band got back the rights to F1. Also, speaking of Brazil in motorsport, you guys should check out our main national categories. We have: Stock Car (kinda a mix of 90's DTM aero with Nascar Style chassis and V8's), Porsche Cup Brazil, Endurance Brazil, Copa Truck (basically Big Rigs racing), HB20 Cup (The HB20 is a Brazil exclusive Hyundai model) and so on...you gotta check it out

[@Strider_JM]

F1 drivers have always moved across to IndyCar, I really don’t know why people think it’s a new trend.

[@dee3368]

Seats are extremely Limited in f1 a competitive seat not a chance ...i can see why they would cross the pond

[@donaldfedosiuk1638]

Why is this considered news? Indy cars have been attracting F1 drivers since at least the time of CART. Emerson Fittipaldi had an entire second career in Indy Car; Nigel Mansell won F1 and CART championships back-to-back. Gerhard Berger, Christian Fittipaldi, Stefan Johansen, Danny Sullivan, Eddie Cheever, Teo Fabi, Juan Pablo Montoya....the list goes on. What can Indy car offer that F1 can;t? ;Available seats, money and competitive racing.

[@jakehewitt2520]

Remember- Nigel Mansell xrossed from F1 to Indy & won the Indy Championship in his 1st Season🥇- Remember him signing his name on the blacktop with the Indy Car👑

[@Timinator62]

That was a long time ago plus, that was in the CART Series days and Nigel went to the #1 Team from '91 and there were only 4 Oval races and 13 Road Races that year. But yes it was very memorable, and he took on all of the CART Legends to get there.

[@RXJ020]

It would be nice to have to Indycar races around world in tracks such as Mexico, Brazil, Abu dhabi(UAE), Monza(Italy), Monaco, Arzebaijan, Japan, and Spa(Belgium). This would make Indycar more famous around the world.

[@Formaldehydex]

That isn’t going to happen on Indycar budgets.

[@alexrebmann1253]

@@Formaldehydex That's why I liked Indycar when it was CART.

[@Formaldehydex]

@@alexrebmann1253 CART still just managed to include Surfer’s Paradise. The F1 travel costs show that it just isn’t feasible for Indycar to do the same. That said, I do think they should at least once hold a race at Spa and see how it goes.

[@alexrebmann1253]

@@Formaldehydex If I recall CART raced in Germany on the oval, and in the UK.

[@Formaldehydex]

@@alexrebmann1253 Those were all one-offs except for Twin Ring Motegi, which had 5 races and Rockingham had 2. Surfer’s Paradise was on the schedule for 17 races. I am also not counting Canada and Mexico because they drove to those races.

[@apophisstr6719]

One thing I don't like about IndyCar is the way the current gen car looks. I know they're race cars and aesthetic is not all that important...but I still would prefer something more pleasing to the eye.

[@Metam-nl8hv]

Excellent & FAIR ASSESSMENT No unnecessary and goofy shade was thrown at anyone or either series I enjoyed that as I am a lifelong fan of both disciplines.. asoi like it that they are different & offer different challenges for the talent & different pleasures for the viewer

[@gwcrispi]

Romain came to IndyCar with Dale Coyne Racing. That's our equivalent of Haas. But he could run up front because it is a driver focused series. That got him a ride with Andretti. Callom Illott is with Juncos who is like Marussia or Caterham. He still can run with the leaders.

[@tylerensminger]

They see other F1 drivers having success and I think there is just more opportunities right now. If F1 would have more teams there might not be as many (especially if the grid get closed top to bottom)

[@EricBurns1]

The technology and innovation of F1 is incredible, but that's what has lead to the downfall of politics and essentially pay to win racing. That's why I haven't been able to get into F1 that much. I'm 100% an Indycar fan and have been for about 6 years because NASCAR went to shit (ya I'm an American lol). I think the more people watch Indycar the more fun they realize it is and just how crazy cool ovals are. I went to the Indy 500 once and there was a group of Germans sitting behind me. They said it was more exciting than any F1 race they'd ever been to. Ericsson absolutely loves running ovals after coming into the series with no oval experience. Word of advice: don't judge ovals based on Texas. That track is awful since it was repaved :(

[@bjs7442]

There is no pay to win racing in F1 . if you mean drivers who have bought a seat , yes two out of 20 and one of those is a very talented driver and the other less so but has a better record than the current 21 Indycar champion Yes there is politics in F1 but its part of the fun of F1 and it doesnt affect the fairness of the racing and F1 is going from strength to strength with some amazing young talent. Indycar is very good and is a home for the ones who cant get into F1. Some are very good drivers indeed

[@EricBurns1]

@@bjs7442 Tell me why Piastri isn't even talked about getting an F1 seat while Guanyu Zhou is. Oh ya, funding

[@bjs7442]

@@EricBurns1 Piastri is talked about but this year there are very few drives in F1 up for grabs. I agree with your thought but you cant say Zhou isnt a superb driver on merit also and he is part of Alpine Academy . He sits P2 in GP2 so he has a genuine claim on ability. I have not said that backing takes no part. In Indycar also drivers with backing in sponsorship will be preferred in smaller teams.

[@Charlemagne89]

To this day the weirdest thing I've ever seen in my life were a group of Norwegians camping near us in the Coke Lot in 2019. They were drinking Bud Light and had the radio tuned to country music and WERE SINGING ALONG. They were like "oh yeah we vacation here all the time, we love the 500". I'm always so surprised to see foreigners at the 500 which just speaks to how popular that race is even globally.

[@Burt1038]

@@Charlemagne89 I waited tables at nice steakhouses for 7 years; growing up you develop impressions of Europeans as being high-maintenance but in my experience many of them, even very successful businessmen, enjoy a cold Budweiser and cheeseburger just as much as an average American does. The snottiest customers were always wealthy people from 3rd world countries.

[@B-A-L]

I've just started watching Indycar and returning to F1 after a ten year absence and I can tell you the two Indycar races I have seen were way better than the three F1 races! The amount of overtaking and lead changes in Indycar makes it far better than the procession that is F1 and no ridiculous penalties, timed penalties and penalties for timed penalties and races that actually end when the chequered flag drops and not the red flag! The only thing that makes F1 better than Indycar is that it is a world championship with races all around the world giving more access to it's fans than Indycar that is just a national championship that is only based in North America.

[@IanTheMotorsportsMan_YT]

This helps out IndyCar a lot! Also, what do you think about IndyCar Rejects doing IMSA?

[@DKMediaTV]

It's cool. I do think some of the older drivers like Castroneves deserve more time in IndyCar. Especially if they're still winning

[@IanTheMotorsportsMan_YT]

@@DKMediaTV I think I just gave you a good idea for a video!

[@poptartknight565]

A good amount of teams in indycar also have an IMSA team so it makes sense for the drivers to transition or make guest appearances at 24 hours of Daytona/ Sebring

[@IanTheMotorsportsMan_YT]

@@poptartknight565 that’s true!

[@EricBurns1]

@@DKMediaTV Castroneves will be running full time next season for Meyer-Shank

[@stevejpm1]

I love Indy car and i realize the need for safety but these new screens make the cars look terrible.

[@LuckyBird551]

Who cares how they look if the drivers are safe?

[@anubiam3004]

The F1 rules package for 2022 is aiming to create a more level playing field like Indy has. It will be interesting to see how the salary cap and new rules impact the running order and the competition up and down the grid. Perhaps it makes F1 a more attractive series and they can attract new teams and manufacturers. If you can't find the millions of dollars to finance your F1 dreams but have some skill, there is usually an Indy car team willing to take a chance on a young driver.

[@markymarknj]

Not to mention the whole Road to Indy program is a lot less expensive! A season in Indy Lights, the series right below IndyCar, costs a a million dollars or so; F2 is more than double that. As for the F1 rules change, it'll be interesting to see how THAT plays out! While F1 won't have a spec chassis as IndyCar does, it'll be interesting how teams respond to having more finite resources; MBR won't be able to spend half a BILLION a season anymore.

[@pjludda4323]

Competition, the CHANCE to succeed, the CHANCE to actually race for wins and championships, the lack of politics (and it's effects preventing them from proving their worth), a series that actually has close to the level of performance of F1 with a quarter of the costs and rewards drivers ABILITY over the money they bring in, yeah...Indycar has proven to be (in most aspects) better than F1, including when it comes to the above and the actual product it produces (close racing, talent and skill based, still brutally treacherous cars, and every race doesn't turn into a procedural one where only a select group of drivers (2-4, max) and a select group of teams (that spends more than the others, and 1-2 max) have a shot at winning anything let alone passing). Pretty much why I don't really watch F1 and why I prefer Indycar over it.

[@benmiller5844]

Yeah but I wouldn’t say that Indy car is just better than f1. They are two different series going for two different goals. Just because you prefer one series over another doesn’t mean it’s better.

[@mpn304]

They go to Indy car because there is no other single seater option..

[@bjs7442]

Indycar is a very good series but name a single driver who was offered a full F1 drive who declined it and decided to go to Indycar. I can name ex F1 drivers who were past their prime and no longer good enough for an f1 seat extend their racing career at Indycar and also F2 drivers who couldnt get a drive in F1 due to supply and demand go to Indycar as some also go to sports cars. Alonso doing the 500 is not Alonso doing Indycar. The 500 is a special one off race. Just like he did the LeMans. Ive just watched the British GP 2022 and seen more incidents, passes and great driving than any other motor race . it was epic and 400k people attended the weekend. Indycar is a great series but its no equivalent to F1 . Its a domestic series with great drivers and should be appreciated as that and not get hung up on comparisons with f1

[@goodshipkaraboudjan]

Palou.

[@bjs7442]

Palou has never been offered a full F1 drive only a test and a practice session and that was after becoming IndyCar champion He is still waiting as of Sept 2023

[@goodshipkaraboudjan]

@@bjs7442 you don't follow Indycar then. Have a look at the latest Palou drama in recent weeks.

[@bjs7442]

@@goodshipkaraboudjan I do follow indycar closely and fully aware of the Palou drama . However I believe you have misread the situation. What he has refused is not an F1 drive with Mclaren but an Indycar drive with Arrow Maclaren. He took that drive thinking that it would lead to an F1 drive because they promised him a trial and practice session to see if he would make the grade. However no firm commitment was ever given. He is the backup driver for Mclaren this year.What scuppered his chances was Oscar Piastri suddenly becoming available who is definitely quicker than Palou and younger. Some think he could be at Lando Norris level. There is an interview with Palou yesterday for an international magazine which I quote: Palou: Lack of F1 guarantee at my age played part in McLaren IndyCar U-turn Alex Palou says his future remains in the IndyCar Series and admits his chances of racing in Formula 1 are now “really, really small” after turning his back on McLaren. So to sum up Palou has not turned down an F1 drive as there is no F1 drive and clearly would love to be in F1 but thinks his chance has gone so he is staying with Gnassy.

[@goodshipkaraboudjan]

@@bjs7442 His drive was with McLaren in Indy (not Maclaren), given the Ganassi issues he stated a clause regarded an F1 path which Zak Brown publically admitted. He want's to stay with Ganassi because McLaren isn't a title hope in either series. He's getting paid a fortune so why not stay. Herta is still young and committed to Andretti over Alpha Tauri (yes the super license stuff etc) for the long term. Maybe he'll end up in F1 if they get the entry, maybe not. Even Pato said in recent weeks he won't give up the chance to win races in Indy for a McLaren swap to F1 if they're not hunting wins and titles. I'd imagine that pissed Zak off but it goes to show the attitudes aren't as simple as "F1 best".

[@rns_nickitoloko_psn5775]

I like both F1 and IndyCar but i gotta say...IndyCar has 2 or 3 F1 races worth of action into a single race. Even the bad ones like music city GP this year was PACKED with action. Something that in F1 it's just fun to watch the start, some overtake battles here and there, some crashes and the finish line, IndyCar is like: every lap there's overtakes, crashes and spins. I had way more fun watching IndyCar this year than i had in F1 for last year's season (not counting this year's F1 season because it ain't over yet so I'm comparing to 2020. Also 2021 season is going absolutely amazing, like 2008 with Hamilton and Massa) Sidenote: 2021 IndyCar season gave birth to a new Legendary driver. 4th time Indy500 Champion and the only man still capable of going to the 5th win, my countrymen, Helio Castroneves 🇧🇷🇧🇷

[@AGirlTalksF1]

This makes me so happy though, thanks to them other categories are becoming quite popular

[@thomastartu9597]

Really like the rules governing the cars. A spec chassis is much better than a variable chassis with the ability to change the aero or the parts.

[@indy500tabasco8]

welcome to USA, no politics or Bs here. just pure talent and hardwork

[@zavierzanetti2357]

And woke shit and woke shit and woke shit.........

[@King-er7ef]

@@zavierzanetti2357 💯

[@shmazy86]

It's not all of a sudden, this has always happened. Not one of these f1 drivers in indycar have offers for a seat in F1 that's why they switching racing in IndyCar. Anyone on the IndyCar grid would jump ship and race in F1. They aren't choosing to go to IndyCar they ots just the next best thing if you can't get a drive in f1

[@johnathonmontgomery3377]

Indycar take the failing f1 drivers just saying

[@shmazy86]

@@johnathonmontgomery3377 exactly

[@9118693223]

indy car series have been through various changes over the years regarding, the title name of the series . but, is a muh cheaper series, regarding expenses of the teams involved . indy cars championship has only one supplier of frames, and only two suppliers of motors . in f1, every constructor must design its own frame and aero pack . it's much more expensive , but it's the cutting edge of technology .

[@johnholmes3707]

Excellent report.

[@a.barker7792]

It's a hell of lot more relaxing and less stressful than F1. F1 is about tire selection and pit stops. Indy is actually passing.

[@nithin009ster]

Veteran F1 drivers might try indy cars as last swansong.

[@LuckyBird551]

This isn't a new phenomenom. Back in the 90s, iconic F1 drivers, that even won championships, started competing in IndyCar (well, the CART division, it was the 90s), like Emerson Fittipaldi and Nigel Mansell. Both Fittipaldi and Mansell even won both titles. Mansell is more impressive considering he won the F1 title in 92, then made the switch and immediately won the CART title in 93.

[@tomtucker8863]

F1 hit Phoeniz with a street race, for about 4 years. There was limited seating, Eurotrash was sold all the seats by Bernie Ecclestone, who owned F! outright, He got all the gate receipts and all the concession receipts. Concessions were tightly controlled by him. Phoenix got stuck with the entire bill for setting up and tearing down the course and received zero benefit. It cost Phoenix millions and they of course lost millions and turned everyone here off of F1 forever. Phoenix thought wrongly the race would be a big economic hit for the city. It' wasn't.

[@Timinator62]

That's why we chased F1/Bernie out of the Long Beach Grand Prix back in the '80's, he wanted too much money. It's been a HUGE success for a long time now.

[@mattzegarski3831]

I thought it was obvious. There are 20, and for the foreseeable future will ONLY be 20, seats in F1. Whereas in IndyCar, the seats are only limited by the money you bring. Oh, yeah, and engine leases (Thanks, Honda!).

[@Your_Local_Asher]

I have met some of these F1 to INDYCAR drivers in person

[@philrobertson647]

Another good example of F1's 'tilted table' is last season when George Russell got out of a Williams backmarker and into the cream Mercedes machine and immediately screamed around the course and was in first place and would have most likely won but dubiously had his pit crew screw up the final pit stop loosing him the race.. Hmm odd don't you think. Could they be trying to obscure the obvious disparity in the sport? Maybe hiding the overriding flaw in F1's mode of operation was more important than the win

[@Marine450x]

Bingo!

[@RRaquello]

I remember watching Juan Pablo Montoya outracing Ralf Schumacher every week only to have a hand grenade go off in his BMW engine. Coincidence that the Columbian driver on a German team got grenaded engines and the German driver didn't?

[@Burt1038]

I think its funny how defenders of the status quo ignore this glaring fact.

[@aerodynamic3037]

Because its proper racing and exciting like the old days of f1, now its just how much money can you bring to a team to get a seat..

[@whoeveriam0iam14222]

The main thing holding f1 back is the extreme inequality between teams The main thing holding IndyCar back is the ridiculous advertising nightmare that NBC puts in their broadcast. The commentators are constantly trying to catch up to what you missed during the commercial break before the next commercial break. Actually unwatchable. NTT IndyCar KZbin channel has really good highlights of the race but the result of often already spoiled when it gets uploaded

[@PeterKKraus]

The worst ( most annoying) racing announcers are on NBC.

[@michaelmarquejr4824]

Nothing But Commercials should be blacklisted by all sports organizations because of their crappy coverage.

[@bsncoleman5341]

Let’s not forget that the Indy 500 is still considered part of the “Triple Crown” of Motorsports. I would even put it above Monaco simply because people care more about who won the Indy 500 vs the Indycar championship than who won Monaco vs the F1 drivers championship

[@24escalade]

Easy answer, competition.

[@Nagassh]

Because they lost their F1 drive?

[@gbrdh]

Indy really should start considering a European tour

[@donstevenson2660]

Oh, it's been tried. They did okay in England and Netherlands, but that crash in Germany still left a bad impression.

[@glxywlf]

I'm honestly surprised Red Bull isn't involved in Indycar.

[@FloosWorld_AoE]

They're kinda involved. The Aeroscreen that IndyCar uses was developed by Red Bull

[@Holeecrab]

they do sponsors eddie cheever's team long time ago. It was ended with the bad taste though afaik

[@swordmasterdante4797]

Because they got droped at some point by their teams in f1 and wanted to continue racing on a different series... No need for a video trying to explain it like its a thing from another world.

[@pulverapa1580]

Indy 500 purse is a factor...

[@dawso2o2]

I’ve been watching both for as long as I can remember as my old man always had them on and Indy car racer are better racer to watch as well f1 could lean a lot from Indy cars and I think it’s better racing for the driver plus open wheel racing it’s the best in the world don’t matter where it is as no race car driver really want to drive taxi cars eg nas cars v8 super cars I would rather go back to go Krafts as it’s better racing not driving around in a line nose to tail

[@RRaquello]

I don't see any reason a fan can't like both. I used to be a big F1 fan at the same time as being an IndyCar fan (and NASCAR fan). I've lost interest over the years in F1, but I wouldn't put it down. For some reason, F1 fans get very defensive when it comes to IndyCar, like they can't just enjoy their series and let other people like what they like, and as if their own personal worth comes from the fact that they're F1 fans, and F1 is the most popular motor sports series in the world. It's like they think accomplish something by being an F1 fan, by watching other people accomplish something (meaning the F1 teams) while they just sit and watch. It's pathetic.

[@jessallen7756]

Indycar has the Indianapolis 500.... the largest sporting event in the world

[@rf1platinum]

...what about the Super Bowl? Or the Fifa World Cup?

[@alex_lll]

@@rf1platinum at least he didn't mention baseball

[@FloosWorld_AoE]

@@rf1platinum Indy 500 is the largest one in terms of capacity on the track. You can easily look that up. 2nd is Le Mans btw.

[@jameshines6474]

I am a fan of the CART series. That had serious input from USAC. This was in the 1990's before NASCAR muscled their way onto TV & wrecked USAC. They also destroyed SPEED VISION, which was one of the best & honest motorsports shows ever on American TV. Dave DeSpain the host also discovered new talent in motorcycle racers & 4 wheel drifters like Kyle Larson! I think NASCAR is a coward to have the teams compete in time trials for grid positions like INDY & F1.

[@RRaquello]

I think CART wrecked themselves when they hung out a sign saying "American Drivers Need Not Apply". They told Jeff Gordon & Tony Stewart to take a hike. NASCAR's popularity in the 90's was built on guys who CART told to fuck off.

[@numberonepaperclip8]

Try because there is only 20 seats in F1 and it is easy to lose a seat. So why not go to the next best option?

[@Mrthezx1000]

I'll tell you why that's because there is no f****** politics in Indy car it's an Indy car they let you race race as race drivers we're born to do without all the bullshit and drama . I no longer watch F1 because of this reason

[@jeremiahbachmann3901]

Better racing and more fun. If you love racing, it only makes sense.

[@FloosWorld_AoE]

@@King-er7ef Not really. Grosjean said that he's done with F1.

[@FloosWorld_AoE]

@@King-er7ef Which is true basically, it just needs you to look that up

[@FloosWorld_AoE]

@@King-er7ef Why should he be a clown? Maybe you just need to get rid of your F1 elitist fanboy behaviour and be open minded towards the entire world of motorsports?

[@Angelbonilla1982]

Love Indy, do that's just the driver!! Don't have a team telling you what the car problem!! Indy tracks have worse surfaces!! Compared to F1, those tracks are almost perfect!! U see those Indy cars sliding each corner, the Gs at top speed 245mph at Indianapolis 500 are insane!!

[@laquitadixon-graham3252]

I love F1 and Indycar

[@itzlukeos3480]

Easy answer is there’s only 20 seats in f1

[@callmeshaggy5166]

Let's not try to twist it here. These F1 drivers going to IndyCar did so out of necessity, as they were let go of their F1 teams and didn't have jobs anymore. No former F1 driver willingly gave up their F1 seat to go drive in IndyCar.

[@Bolt_theG35]

Those drivers lose their seat not because they’re bad drivers, but because of the way F1 works, they race on crap teams with crap equipment that can’t compete with the Red Bulls and Mercedes’ of the world, so they eventually get let go. F1 is what it is.. a billionaires boys club full of politics. Money is king in F1 and competition takes a back seat. These drivers have realized that’s not how it is in IndyCar and they can actually compete there. Let me know when someone other than Red Bull, Mercedes or Ferrari actually wins a race in F1.

[@goodshipkaraboudjan]

So you just watched Drive To Survive then. Ever heard of a man called Nigel Mansell?

[@jomsmd]

but many of them want to become f1 drivers

[@Pikktryne]

What does indycar offer? A contract maybe...

[@skeleguns10oooooo10]

Takuma Sato is one great example

[@duster0669]

I've been an Indy car fan since 1969 when Andretti won the 500. It was easily the primer series in the US until the late nineties split. NASCAR filled the void. But there is nothing new in NASCAR, same ol same ol every damn week. And they have way over extended themselves, and drove old fans like me away. Indy Car is back! The split is over and the racing is still very very good. F1 is all about the team and the car. And the team and car are all about the money. Who every has the most money has a huge advantage. Not so in Indy Car. It IS ALL ABOUT THE TEAM AND THE DRIVER, but the money is of much less importance. The best teams with the best drivers have the huge advantage! And they win on race day. Which ever is BEST TODAY! You never know who is going to win this week! In my book Indy Car is back where it belongs. It is back on top of US auto racing! F1 and NASCAR are history in my opinion. BRING BACK THE 900 HP ENGINES in Indy Cars! And watch the sport sprout!

[@RRaquello]

I'll tell you what NASCAR will have that IndyCar won't-American drivers. As mire F1 guys come over after their checkbooks can no longer buy them a ride in Europe, American drivers will be shut out of IndyCar. I don't see it as a long term good business plan, in an entertainment industry, to run a race series in a country, and at the same time exclude participants from that country from competing in that series. Even in other sports, like Canadian football, there is a rule limiting the number of imports that can be on the roster of any team because otherwise the entire league would be NFL rejects. We'll soon be to the point where the entire IndyCar series will be F1 guys. It may fly with the die hard racing fan, but I don't know about the casual ticket buyer.

[@shucklesupremacy66]

@@RRaquello this theory has been disproven so many times over - the most popular drivers in Indycar for many many years were Tony Kanaan and Helio Castroneves, and now Pato. I really don’t think people care where the driver is from, only that they have a personality and do some winning too.

[@RRaquello]

@@shucklesupremacy66 But there's a fallacy in that argument in that the fans who watch IndyCar are the ones that don't care much about where a driver is from, but doesn't take into account the fans who do care, who might be watching IndyCar if the drivers from the traditional open wheel backgrounds (sprint car drivers like Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman, etc.) were still allowed in IndyCar. IndyCar lost a whole generation of fans to NASCAR when they turned their back on American drivers. So fans who don't care become IndyCar fans, fans who DO care become NASCAR fans, and even in these days of NASCAR's decline, they still far outnumber IndyCar fans. It's no coincidence that the big growth of NASCAR occurred right after IndyCar/CART closed its doors to American drivers and the few left overs from the traditional IndyCar background, like Foyt, Rutherford, the Unsers., aged out of the series.CART built their business model on the idea that more race fans in the US would prefer to watch Teo Fabi and Raul Boesel over Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart. We all know how that turned out. I'm not against having imported drivers in IndyCar. I'd like to see some more in NASCAR, because it would be interesting to compare them to the native drivers. But there has to be balance. You don't improve the series by tapping a new source of talent while completely shutting out the old source, which is what happened in CART/IndyCar and was the cause of the split that nearly killed the sport.

[@satanswolf]

DKMedia all of a sudden??? Andretti, Graham Hill, Montoya etc. etc. etc!

[@kiramutoujaeger]

Takuma Sato,Marcus Ericsson,Roman Grosjean having a good time in indy

[@goodshipkaraboudjan]

Grosjean just got sacked

[@mickaelmolinier167]

And now in France, the F1 fan look the indy for Grosjean

[@michelecrescenzo6547]

I agree with your perspective but, since f1 has changed a lot, and I mean that from being in a team for your talent, to being in a team for your money; since this change I brought up my passion for indycar back, I used to watch it with my dad when there where no F1 races, and now I follow both the championship, although I see indycar more as a proper sport rather than F1(now tell me in which sport you have to pay for showing your talent); furthermore indycar has always brought innovation which we had even seen in f1 (think of the shark fins for example), and now with social media is more friendly and enjoyable than the ultra competitive world of F1; btw indycar is one of the series which is making efforts in developing eco friendly stuff to make the sport even greener

[@johntyrer8418]

The narrator calls it a 'serious' but surely Indycar is a series.

[@jellalfernandes3107]

I think it's easy for them to switch because the already drive f1

[@arranmc182]

IndyCar offers more verity of tracks than F1 as to this day FIA seem to be too scared to put F1 back on oval tracks.

[@jdbb3gotskills]

I hope Alonso moves over to Indy car for a year or two. He is getting older though. If he tries for the triple crown until he retires for good would be cool.

[@rafaelcoutomarinho6314]

Ele foi humilhado por um piloto de Indy Lights usando um carro reserva em 2019. Ele é fraco em ovais sem um time todo regulando o carro pra ele. A única indy500 que finalizou foi abaixo da vigésima posição. Fraquíssimo!

[@eldominici3732]

I been watching Indycar… the thing about F1 is time it comes on lolol …..

[@ralucaparaschiv2423]

I was a F1 fan but now imma le mans race and nascar fan i consider that indycar is good but F1 its way better cause F1 cars are doing better the curves and haves incredible speed but indycar don't takes the curves better than F1 even if Indycar haves sleepery body and can rich at 380 MPH i consider that F1 its better.

[@KeeperKen30]

F1 drivers who lose their F1 rides are moving to Indy Car to avoid not having a ride. When Indy Car drivers move to F1, that will be news.

[@PeterKKraus]

That would be Jacques Villenuve and Juan Pablo Montoya.

[@KeeperKen30]

@@PeterKKraus How long ago?

[@goodshipkaraboudjan]

This didn't age well. Palou just said no to Zak Brown with an offer of an F1 clause in his contract. Herta did the same last year with AT to resign with Andretti.

[@marcperis7610]

Been an F1 fan since I was a kid and the cars now are boooring. They are too large and it’s too hard to follow cars that are in front

[@benedictpamire2613]

Driver's aren't moving from F1 to indy lol they are being dropped from F1

[@harambesshampoo5631]

Everyone here about drivers being kicked out of formula one for teams to get money… mazepin 😂

[@silv3rsp3ct3r7]

Because they got fired and had nowhere to go. 😆

[@edwardmylnychuk5774]

F1 is a joke, winning has very little to do with the drivers but more the quality of the car, tooooooooo much BS in F1 and that is why i only watch hilights on you tube because other than a few at the top battling for first the rest are in the dust, indy everyone is battling although i prefer the road courses because that takes more skill as jeff gordon said in an interview i watched years ago. even le mans 24 hour race penalizes teams that seem to have an unfair advantage over the competition, as an old guy i miss the trans am series races where camaros and mustangs went at each other and watching some of the races from Australia is great, racing as it should be,

[@bjs7442]

You forget F1 is a constructors championship , so yes its about the cars. They spend hundreds of millions designing state of the art cars and because of that they they pay millions for the best drivers. Yes it is about the cars but there is big constructor prize money all down the grid so you get battles all down the grid. Mercedes and Red Bull are battling for supremacy , then Mclaren is battling Ferrari , Alpine is battling Alpha Tauri. Add that to the drivers championship with the top two only 6 points apart. Four weeks ago Mclaren came 1st and Second . Its not the same who win every time . The top drivers want F1 because it is the pinnacle . The cars test the ability of the drivers to the limit and with it comes prestige and they are professional drivers who may only be at their peak for a few years and they are paid accordingly. Jimmie Johnson , Nascar champion said when he drove a modern F1 car "It was the most epic experience I have ever had in motorsport in my life."

[@edwardmylnychuk5774]

means nothing if it is not fun to watch, its nothing more than an elite little boys club. watching older cars race in australia is much more fun,

[@bjs7442]

@@edwardmylnychuk5774 Its great fun to watch and millions are doing it with me . Its motorsport theatre that has something for everyone. Its not just the race but the whole three day event. The proof is in the viewing figures and the huge sponsorship deals because of it. Why are major car manufacturers involved. Just look at the KZbin traffic as a reflection of its popularity and next year will be even bigger with the rule changes to narrow the gap between the cars.

[@somescorpio1798]

These are drivers who were cut from F1 teams. But given the opportunity to return, they always take it in a heartbeat. Indy is just open wheel Nascar.

[@goodshipkaraboudjan]

So you know nothing about Indycar then...

[@therealtoxic1263]

I want to bring a point he actually bring the dark side of F1 but he bring the light side of indycar and what Americans will say andIndycar isn't the closest to F1 actually FE is the closest because and most of Indycar is about the driver where F1 and FE is about the team then the driver

[@droggelbecher2k127]

in F1, it is 80-85%Car and 15-20% the Driver. in US Motorsport it´s the other Way around. F1 Drivers do not switch but get substituted so they look for alternatives. It does not depend if you are a good driver or less good driver. F1 is mainly good Drivers an some rich Kids whos Daddys own the Racing Teams. If you are a good Driver but not in an Champ Team and over 30 you need to go. F1 is mainly Champ Veterans and bunch of Prospects. If a Prospect gets older but was not lucky enough to win the Championsship they get substituted like Magnussen, Grosjean, Hulkenberg etc. Bottas Ricciardo will be next, though great drivers.

[@marcogoncalves7185]

F1 is getting bored. Indycar looks like more interesting.

[@LOGICON]

Just ask Sebastian Bourdais

[@marksenter6486]

IndyCar forever! Not taking anything away from NASCAR, I think 7-time champion Jimmy Johnson got his eyes opened up in '21 as to the competetiveness that IndyCar brings.

[@TinyBearTim]

It’s basically now a b team for F1 drivers like fe is

[@peterschoen7409]

Remember what Senna said again to much politics