Subscribe

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe
Autosport Plus

The lessons F1 can learn from IndyCar's Austin debut

IndyCar's first visit to Austin provided a rare chance for a direct comparison with Formula 1. The race at the Circuit of the Americas demonstrated that performance metrics don't correlate directly with sheer spectacle

Speed equals spectacle. That was the simple foundation stone upon which Formula 1's 2017 aerodynamic regulation overhaul was built, encapsulated by the single objective of improving lap times by four to five seconds compared with 2015. This was the panacea that would cure all F1's ills.

It wasn't. Although the changes nailed the target almost perfectly - the average difference between fastest laps on each weekend in 2015 versus '17 almost bang on 4.5s - the rationale was flawed.

Previous article Alonso's 'character' part of Ferrari title failure - di Montezemolo
Next article Red Bull's Marko: Australia cooling problems likely hindered Ferrari

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe