Peter Windsor , a Formula One pundit, claimed on his Youtube channel that Liberty Media wanted to buy IndyCar to turn it into “an American feeder series for F1”. The move is part of an attempt to boost interest among American fans and encourage American drivers to make the jump to Formula One.
Bud Denke r, president of Penske Corporation responded in a clear and unambiguous manner when asked about the possibility of selling IndyCar to RACER. Denker stated, “There is no truth in any of that.” No discussion has taken place, and we would not sell it. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Series were acquired by the corporation in 2020.
The corporation has no interest in selling the series, and does not see any reason to change its successful system. Sources from Liberty Media and Formula One also said that the rumor about an interest in purchasing the IndyCar Series is “completely false”.
The pros and cons of a potential F1-IndyCar agreement are many
Formula One wants to buy the American motorsports series to expand its presence in the United States of America. The Netflix series Drive to Survive’ has already had a big impact.
Formula One wants to bring in more American drivers and fans to the sport. Logan Sargeant is a good example. His influence is less felt by fans due to the fact that his team has a low ranking. It was also suggested that IndyCar would change its iconic oval track, and modify the cars to look like Formula One. The series is a way to attract a large number of American talent who will be able to grow the sport’s fan base. The series can be viewed as a global sport and not one that is limited to the USA.
This could also damage IndyCar’s reputation, which is usually viewed as a rival to Formula One. All comparisons would be nullified. As a ‘feeder series’, it could result in the loss of thousands fans as its status is lowered to that of a simple F1 subsidiary. As it becomes a “feeder” to F1, the core values are lost as it will follow more or less the same rules. This could include the removal of fueling at pitstops which adds variability and facilitates stronger competition.
IndyCar could also lose its oval course trademark, allowing the sport to concentrate more on overtaking than fine margins. Also, they will lose their own sanctioning body. They must now answer to the FIA. It is also possible that drivers of the American feeder will compete with those from Formula 2, which is the current feeder series. This could be a problem, as there are only a limited number of spots available on the F1 grid.
The acquisition of IndyCar, by Liberty Media, comes with both pros and cons. Penske Corporation is not interested in selling at this time, so a sale seems unlikely. Liberty Media must find a way to reach out to American fans to diversify Formula One’s audience.
