F1 vs. IndyCar: Which One is Faster?
Do you want a short or more elaborate answer? The short answer is IndyCar: the fastest speed ever recorded in the American category is 236 mph or 380 kph. Insane! Formula 1 has registered at 231.4 mph or 372.5 kph, Valtteri Bottas broke the record on Mexico in 2016.
IndyCar fastest recorded speed: 236 mph / 380 kph
F1 fastest recorded speed: 231.4 mph / 372. kph
If you are in for a little bit of reading let me elaborate on why this answer is misleading. There are a number of factors that play a role in determining which one is faster overall. Consistency is the main word here. Gearheads also consider how quickly you can go from zero to 100, an important parameter.
Reaching top speed
How fast can both cars reach top speed? This is a complicated question to answer. IndyCar has the peculiarity that they race in ovals, especially the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the most amazing racing venue in the world in my opinion. The whole gravitas of the event will always mesmerize me and fill me with anticipation.
Racing in ovals means you have the pedal to the metal most of the lap, and since you don’t brake hard, you can maintain high speeds overall. It also means you run a low downforce car with little drag. This translates to more efficiency by the engine; the power to speed ratio is better.
A Formula 1 car can go from 0 to 100 kph in 2.5 seconds, while an IndyCar takes around 3 seconds. The thing is that when racing in an oval, an IndyCar is configured to reach the highest speed they can. That is how you qualify for Indianapolis. They run low drag setups and on qualifying, fuel is set to a minimum. These are contributing factors to why IndyCar can reach a higher speed than an F1 car, however they take longer to reach it.
A Formula 1 car can go from 0 to 100 kph in 2.5 seconds, while an IndyCar takes around 3 seconds.
F1 cars are set up in such a way that they are fast around corners of various types, it depends on the track they are racing. Ovals on the other hand, though they have bends, camber naturally takes the car around it, helping the driver keep the acceleration optimal. Hard brakes are inherent to race tracks, not speedways like in IndyCar.
Speeds vary year by year
Over the last few years, we have seen a fluctuation when it comes to lap times of Formula 1 cars. Engineers are at the mercy of the Technical Regulations provided by the FIA on what they can or cannot do to the engine, aerodynamic packaging, and overall chassis. These elements greatly affect how an F1 car is going to behave for that year. Remember that F1 cars are designed to sustain high speeds through various corners, hence a heavy reliance on downforce.
Don’t get me wrong, IndyCars also compete on race tracks and street circuits, where downforce is needed. This is where we start to notice the differences in both cars. As mentioned previously, sustaining high speeds through the corners is what makes you faster in general, on a race track. F1 cars have more aerodynamic elements, and each car has unique features. Unlike IndyCar that provided a chassis to all teams, Formula 1 teams design their own.
To give you an idea, Mercedes posted a lap time of 1:32.029 at the Circuit of the America (COTA) on qualifying. An IndyCar’s fastest lap on this circuit is 1:46.018, on a qualifying run. That is around 14 seconds faster for an F1 car.
Mercedes posted a lap time of 1:32.029 at the Circuit of the America (COTA) on qualifying. An IndyCar’s fastest lap on this circuit is 1:46.018, on a qualifying run.
COTA is a perfect race track example to serve as a comparison, it has the ideal length, number, and types of curves; it also features a couple of long straights.
Engine technology
Currently, Formula 1 cars run a V6 turbo hybrid engine. They are assisted by an energy recovery system that provides extra horse power. This is used at its maximum during qualifying. The power unit is what helps F1 cars reach high speeds quicker than an IndyCar. Keep in mind that usually, F1 cars suffer from drag caused by the aerodynamic elements, hence the need for a powerful engine.
IndyCar engines are DOHC 2.2-liter twin-turbo V6 with four-stroke. They reach 550–750 hp. The engine shines on speedways, reaching insane top speeds. The engine differences start to appear when you race both cars on a race track.
Aerodynamics
Each Formula 1 car is unique. Every team designs its own challenger, and all the aerodynamic components are different. IndyCar on the other hand has a standardized Dallara chassis for every team, which translates into closer competition. It’s up to the team, and the driver’s feeling to set up the front and rear wings of the car to have more or less downforce.
Race tracks
While Formula 1 races on regular circuits and some pseudo-street circuits, IndyCar races on all of these types and also on ovals; this is where they shine. Oval superspeedways are the perfect recipe for incredibly fast races and action-packed moments. Overtaking here is quite common.
Track design
Since Formula 1 cars have a huge amount of downforce and can sustain high speed through corners, the category has been subject to many revisions on its safety regulations, especially on the track. This is the reason why many tracks are wide, and have big run off areas. Herman Tilke is the designer for most of the F1 tracks on the calendar, these tracks have pejoratively been named ‘Tilkedromms’, except for the historic races which ironically tend to offer better spectacle.
F1 purists allege that the Tilkedromms made the category predictable and boring. Races tend to be less action packed and even the cars have been provided with artificial methods to aid overtaking like DRS or ERS. Races like SPA offer quite a show since it’s an old school circuit with curves offering natural camber and elevation changes. Most new tracks seem to be made on mostly flat surfaces with very little artificial camber, making the cars depend a lot on downforce.
IndyCar is full of old-school race tracks. Watkins-Glen, Road Atlanta, Mid-Ohio, or Road America offers incredible races because of their natural topology. If F1 was to race on race tracks like these, they would need to have slower cars (with much less downforce) to make them safe.
Perhaps F1 in their eagerness to have the fastest, and safest cars on the planet, have drifted apart from fun, close, action-packed races. IndyCar on the other hand, even though they have applied many safety features to their cars, have been more consistent in terms of technical regulations. This consistency has helped teams and drivers reach peak performance since they know what to expect from the car.
In conclusion
So, a number of factors determine which car is faster overall. If put on an infinitely long straight like in Gran Turismo, the IndyCar will probably reach a faster top speed than a Formula 1 car. If put on a race track, the advantages of a superior aero package and hybrid turbo charged power unit, assisted with energy recovery systems will give the Formula 1 car a far significant edge over the IndyCar.
Which one is more fun to watch? In my opinion, IndyCar currently offers better spectacle, and more close racing. A homologated chassis and engine certainly help that. You can truly see the driver’s skills put to the test.
Since the essence of F1 is technological development, we will never see homologated chassis and parts. What the FIA can do is to reduce the complexity of what is allowed to be done to the front and rear wings, the barge board, floor, diffuser, etc. Despite that, teams will still find loop holes in the regulations and come up with ingenious ideas to give their car and edge; it is usually the teams with more budget that achieve that.
In F1, a team usually dominates for a number of years, before another one does.
What do you think of each category? Which one do you enjoy the most? Do you like to watch the Indianapolis 500? Let me know in the comments down below.
Happy racing.
