F1 vs IndyCar: Beyond Speed
Formula 1 is known to be the pinnacle of motorsport. It has without a doubt the fastest cars in the world and teams spend millions of dollars to implement the best technological advances to gain performance. Some of these advances have been applied in the auto industry. DRS, ERS, and carbon fiber are some of the examples of technology being adapted to road cars around the globe.
Rules and regulations are the bedrock of any organized competition. They dictate how things are done, and how the sport will evolve over time. Formula 1 has been on a downward spiral in this sense; allow me to explain. Over complicated rules have put the sport in a peculiar position. It’s been more than a decade since F1 prohibited refueling in the pits in an attempt to reduce costs and increase safety. IndyCar on the other hand, stays true to motorsport essence and still allows refueling, giving the competition a more organic feeling.
Keep it Simple
F1 has been suffering from over-engineering. Power Units (PU) have become unnecessarily complicated with many parts and electronics prone to wear and failure. The rules do not help at all because they only allow a small number of replacements during the season, and doing so can carry grid penalties. Cost reduction is the determining factor for this rule as well. IndyCar reintroduced engine penalties as well a year ago. So what is the difference? The answer is over-engineering. IndyCar engines are more robust due to their simplified nature, compared to F1’s PUs. Wear and tear greatly reduces performance in the PU’s components, so it’s not just a matter of replacing the internal combustion engine (ICE), it can be the energy recovery batteries (MGU-K, MGU-H), turbo system, and many other components co-dependent on each other.
The result of over-engineering is over-management. A vicious circle that has put drivers against team managers/ race strategists. It is very common to see drivers be given orders to mind the car while racing. Radio messages like “save fuel”, “switch to a slower engine mode”, “save tyres”, “recharge the battery” are frustrating to hear from a driver’s perspective when you are in the middle of very intense competition. It has gotten to the point where sometimes teams rather retire the car to avoid unnecessary wear than to finish the race, especially at the back of the grid.
This issue is an indication that pure, organic competition is not the case in F1. Another indicative can be the drag reduction system (DRS). It is an artificial attempt to aid overtaking. F1 cars throw so much dirty air to the car behind, that it is impossible to follow the car ahead closely and try to pass it. Over-thinking the rules behind DRS has ruined the pureness of the sport. You are only allowed to use it under certain circumstances: to be less than one second of the car in front in certain checkpoints, and you are allowed to use it only in the designated areas. IndyCar on the other hand has a push-to-pass button. Drivers are allowed extra BHP coming from a battery that has around 200 seconds of energy stored, you can use them as you see fit. This is more in line to pure competition and let the drivers think for themselves.
Artificial Racing vs. Organic Racing
F1 feels like it has been pushed towards an artificial kind of racing with one team usually dominating the competition due to the engineers finding loopholes in the regulations to gain performance, only for them to be banned next season. IndyCar on the other hand has very close competition and for the last sixteen seasons, the championship has been decided on the last race, with many race winners throughout the calendar.
Tracks are another reason F1 feels artificial. The infamous “Tilkedroms” designed by architect Hermann Tilke are proof that the sport needs to look back at classic tracks. No surprise that in these couple of seasons, where F1 has been pushed to improvise when choosing the calendar, the tracks that have created the most exciting races are the old-school race tracks. It is quite unusual that an architectural firm has almost monopolized every new or renovated track the FOM adds to the calendar.
When IndyCar races on race tracks or street circuits, the action is guaranteed. They have a mix of fast corners, elevation and camber changes, and most importantly organic overtaking spots. Ovals are another beast of its own. They are quite exciting to see, pure speed and precise driving, plus the occasional crashes.
Back to Basics
F1 needs to look to the other side of the pond, and simplify how things are done. Either simplifying aerodynamics, internal components, or rules and regulations, can bring a more organic kind of racing. It will allow drivers to race on their own, rather than be managing the car for two thirds of the race. The sport should take a step back and make everything more simple in terms of pure competition, without tossing aside factors like safety and cost reduction. It can be done with the right approach. Hopefully we can see it sooner rather than later.
A proof that IndyCar is doing so much better in terms of organic racing is the incredible seasons that Grosjean and Eriksen have had. They’re both former F1 drivers who had bland seasons there, only to prove their true value at IndyCar, a category far more competitive across the grid.
What do you think of the current state of F1 in terms of rules and regulations? Do you think racing has become a bit more artificial? Let me know in the comments down below.
