Formula 1 is the most prestigious racing series, at least when it comes to ‘normal’ racing. There are many other racing series as well, such as IndyCar and Formula E. If you want to switch over to the ‘all’ series, MotoGP is also a great option. Most people would agree that the sport is the pinnacle of motorsport, given the recent popularity boom.
F1 has been unable to crack the USA code for many years. In the last few years, the popularity of F1 in America has soared thanks to Netflix’s drive to survive. In 2023, three races will be held in the United States. There’s still the challenge of finding an American F1 racer who can compete at the top and engage fans. There is Logan Sargeant but he’s at the back of the field.
Liberty Media who own Formula 1 are reportedly considering acquiring IndyCar. It is a very popular series in the United States and the most prestigious open-wheel racing series. The Indianapolis 500 is also held there, and it’s considered one of the world’s most prestigious races. It would be a very lucrative purchase, except that it intends to turn it into an ‘feeder’ series.
Peter Windsor is a popular and respected F1 journalist. In a YouTube video, Windsor said: Liberty is looking into buying IndyCar in order to turn it into an American feeder series. This is a great idea. It could solve the issue of the lack of American drivers in F1 (or the viewer interest for one), but it will definitely hurt the reputation of IndyCar.
Liberty Media will get rid of IndyCar ovals in order to make it F1-like.
Peter Windsor claims that Liberty Media wants to make IndyCar a feeder series to F1
Peter Windsor believes that Liberty Media can also get rid of “some of the ovals” in IndyCar to make it more like Formula 1 and relevant. He said: “I don’t know how they would achieve that. Maybe get rid of some ovals to make it more road coursey, maybe make the cars look more F1 like, maybe add carbon brakes, or whatever. Zak Brown, the CEO of McLaren, may be there for that reason. I’m not sure. It’s not completely stupid .”
Windsor would find this purchase very appealing. He said: “It’s actually a pretty cool idea because you can put in a lot talented, good drivers who cannot make it to Formula 1 so they do this American Series. I think it makes sense for me to do this .”. So, in some ways, it could act as a feeder but also as an alternative to F1.
It will be interesting to see whether this deal actually happens. IndyCar is often compared to F1, so the acquisition of the former would break down such comparisons. IndyCar may, in theory, increase F1’s US popularity, but if it is turned into a “feeder series”, it could lose fans.
