Quote:
Originally Posted by Zeke
(Post 12027383)
I do and I don't like F1 that much. Here's why: Dallara chassis and leased engines. I know there's crap ton of rules to build an F1 car but at least they build some of it themselves as individual teams.
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You're comparing apples to kumquats. F1 team, especially the top ones are struggling to stay within the paltry $135m per team budget, that's $67.5m per car. Even the very top Indy car teams are spending $7-10m per car, possibly as high as $13-15 for Pensky, but that's the high side of the rumors. And while the uber geeks like us and others know the differences in the cars ad-nauseam, the average person doesn't, and doesn't care. Even with the massive popularity of 'Drive to survive' many still don't the difference. I know car geeks, Porsche owners included, who've even been to a race or two over the decades who don't know the difference between Indy car and F1. Indy car used to have multiple chassis, but other than the top 2-3 teams they were still customer chassis, just like F1 was up until the late 70's. Tony George tried his very best to kill open wheel racing in the States and all but succeeded with his stupid ill advised split. The result was that NASCAR won the hearts and minds while Indy car imploded to almost annihilation. The sponsors left in droves and there simply wasn't the money to keep multiple chassis and the resultant arms race they allow for in $$'s for development. It's not perfect, but it makes for outstanding racing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zeke
(Post 12027383)
Then there's the drivers. Historically a former F1 driver that has moved to Indy Car has kicked ass.
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Which ones? The last one I recall kicking ass was Mansel. He was the raining F1 champ, went to CART and won the championship, in far less convincing style than he won in F1. The next year he had the wrong chassis and didn't win a single race before quitting. MAybe you mean the likes of Andretti, Jacques Villeneuve, JPM etc? Nope, they all kicked ass in Indy car before moving to F1, then in the case of Andretti they came back to Indy car. Bobby Rahal? YEs he kicked ass in Indy car, but he had exactly two F1 races in crappy year old Wolf's, hardly an F1 career. Zanardi? Maybe, but he could just as easily stayed in F1, and he never had a front running car. Emerson Fittipaldi? Sure, but what did you expect from a two time F1 champ and a two time runner up? Yup, he had a hell of a career in Indy car two, winning one championship and coming runner up twice. And if anyone thinks that someone like Scott Dixon or AJ Foyt couldn't have been contenders for F1 championships if with a front running team then they're delusional. Yes, people like Rossi have far more success in Indy car, but that's because they've got into a front running team, rather than a handful of races in a back marker team.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zeke
(Post 12027383)
Not everyone, but a majority. Conversely, an Indy Car driver going to F1 hasn't panned out. There was talk of Colton Herta crossing over. I know he's good, but not that good. My prediction is that he won't do well. If he gets stuck with the new Andretti Cadillac he starts off with a huge deficit to begin with.
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OTher than Andretti, Montoya, Villeneuve Jr etc. But why let facts interfere with opinion.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zeke
(Post 12027383)
But that part won't be his fault. Grosjean was a clown in F1 but he won at everything he did prior. He has found a place for his talent in Indy Car. That tells a story right there.
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LOL, Ro Gro is still RoGro in Indy car. Far from being a major player in Indy car, he has yet to win a race, and the silly season news this year seems to have gone from 'being in talks for renewal' with Andretti, to silence on that front and in major **** with his boss for the number of unforced errors costing them huge $$'s in lost results and accident damage. He's also far behind his team mates Herta (who's having a ****ty year) and Kirkwood in the standings. Last year he was also several places behind team mates Herta and Rossi in the standings. And again, don't hold up Rossi as a successful cross over, I hardly count five F1 starts in no hoper cars as an F1 career.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zeke
(Post 12027383)
There are 4 different engines in F1 and only 2 for Indy. Teams in F1 are able to fabricated
their own exhaust; Indy does not. F1 can make their own bodies that conform including the underside. Indy can not.
What is the chief complaint about NASCAR? Spec racing. Indy Car is a spec series.
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REally, so what? F1 is all but unique these days in not just allowing, but insisting on unique chassis, great, but it's budgets literally 5-10 times. Racing value for money, Indy wins hands down.
I'm not a die hard Indy only fan, I'm an ex pat Brit who grew up never missing an F1 race. I watched my whole life. The first race I have specific memories of was the British Grand Prix in 79. I was so proud that a British car won the British Grand Prix with a British driver, until my parents pointed out to 10 year old me that Alan Jones was an Aussie!!! I was obsessed by F1 until the turn of the century, since when, with a few curve balls for Alonso, Kimi, and Button, we've basically had a race for second place. The technical aspect is still fascinating, but the racing is boring. While Indy car doesn't have the awesome arms race of unbridled technology, it's a fascinating series with a massive variety of tracks. Super speedways, short ovals, road courses and street courses. Yes some of the street courses are a bit micky mouse, but Detroit raced better than expected, and lets face it Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, and Miami are also pretty crap.
I don't mean to get preachy, but I get really tired of people putting down Indy car and especially it's drivers as being somehow inferior. Its a different product, and I believe the top 10 and bottom 10 drivers in each series are broadly similar in talant. Indy may be lacking a Verstappen or a HAmilton, but if anyone thinks a Dixon, Palou, Herta, O'Ward wouldn't have been successful in a top F1 team they are deluding themselves.