The two series, however, are run very differently. While F1 has always been the pinnacle of engineering excellence with a big focus on design and development, IndyCar has prioritised an equal playing field with lower budgets.
To European racing fans, IndyCar can seem complicated, and to US audiences F1’s reliance on money and technology can be equally bemusing. But by looking at the key differences, and what each series does better than the other it is possible to appreciate the richness of top-level single-seater racing.
The main difference between Formula 1 and IndyCar is that while F1 only races on road circuits, IndyCar races on both road and oval circuits. This means that the two cars need to be designed differently – both need to maximise acceleration and cornering speed, but IndyCars also need to cope with sustained top speeds on oval tracks.
Does F1 or IndyCar have the highest top speeds?
The top speeds reached by IndyCar machinery is approximately 235mph from twin-turbocharged 2.2-litre V6 engines whereas for an F1 car it is around 205mph from turbocharged 1.6-litre V6 hybrid engines – although in 2019 both Sebastian Vettel and Sergio Perez managed to hit 223.5mph at Monza and Mexico City respectively. F1’s lower top speeds can be accounted for by the prioritising of downforce and cornering speeds in its regulations.
However IndyCar’s superior straight line speed does not directly equate to its cars being faster over an entire lap. F1 cars can accelerate up to speed much quicker and are set up to lose far less time in the corners. In 2019, IndyCar raced at US Grand Prix venue the Circuit of the Americas, allowing for direct comparisons for the first time. Will Power took pole with a 1m46.017s lap, averaging 115mph. Almost nine months later at the US GP, Valtteri Bottas did it with a 1m32.029s, 14 seconds quicker and averaging 133.5mph.
With such differing approaches to motorsport, it is not really representative to just look at the series speed….
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