This Saturday will mark the official start of both the F1 season and the IndyCar series. The two motorsports racing entities may appear similar to new fans. But there are plenty of differences outside IndyCar or F1 news. Examining these can help fans and bettors better understand the appeal of both.
F1-IndyCar Differences: The Technical Aspects
From the outside, F1 and IndyCar vehicles look the same. They are single-seaters that go up to speeds of 200 miles per hour. But that’s about it as F1 cars are built for mixed circuits while IndyCars are made with constant speeds in ovals in mind.
F1 engines are also 1.6-liter V6 turbocharged hybrid engines that range from 800 to 1,000 horsepower while IndyCars use a 2.2-liter V6 biturbo engine that ranges from 550 to 750. This is why F1 cars can hit 200 mph twice faster (four seconds) than an IndyCar.
Flat out with Fernando 💪
P1 on Friday, Saturday P? 🤔#BahrainGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/uJQZFdDF06
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 3, 2023
The other big difference is when it comes to the cars’ manufacturing. F1 teams can acquire engines and transmissions but must manufacture their own cars. For IndyCar, there are two fixed engine suppliers: Honda and Chevrolet, and one for chassis: Dallara. Thanks to this difference, it is more expensive to fund an F1 team versus an IndyCar team.
It costs roughly $160 million for an F1 car and around $600 million for a team whilst it is just a fraction of that for IndyCar: $4 million and $20 million, respectively. That’s why a head-to-head comparison of the two in terms of performance is not fair and will be dominated by F1 picks.
F1 vs IndyCar Race Circuits and Locations
One notable difference between F1 and IndyCar is the racing circuit. The F1 courses are mixed circuits. They do not have oval circuits unlike IndyCar, which has some. You can view their most notable races, the Monaco Grand Prix and the Indianapolis (500) as a contrast to how different they are. The former is a narrow street circuit whereas the latter is a wide oval course. Both are popular for betting online.
Also, as of 2023, all of IndyCar’s races take place in North America with all but one course being the United States. F1’s courses are spread around the globe. It has three in the United States and hosts Grand Prix from Europe to Asia to South America.
F1 also hosts 23 races (originally planned for 24) while IndyCar has 17 for their current seasons. The field is also much different between the two.
Most annoying thing F1 fans say when it comes to not wanting to watch Indycar is “why would I want to watch cars go in circles” as if the circuit to oval track ratio hasn’t been skewed in favor of circuits for years pic.twitter.com/zxOtJsK7iA
— Prost Stan Account (@f1_headassery) February 10, 2023
F1 and IndyCar Drivers, Standings, and Scoring System
With Formula One, there are typically 20 main drivers divided into 10 teams: two drivers per team. F1 teams also have reserve drivers who will fill in when the main drivers cannot race. The scoring system in F1 also only awards fewer points and up to the 10th place only. The race winner gets 25 points, second gets 18, third gets 15, fourth gets 12, and it goes down until 10th place gets one.
F1 also rewards drivers with a point for the fastest lap and also give points from eight to one for the first eight drivers of a Sprint.
As for IndyCar, there are usually 25 drivers racing for many teams. Each team is also not limited to two drivers and sometimes have situations where they split duties (such as one driver racing the oval races while the other drives during the street circuits). All the drivers also get points, even the one that finishes last.
The race winner gets 50 points, the second gets 40, third gets 35, fourth gets 32, and so on until the minimum of five points for the 25th and below.
Due to the different scoring formats, winning a race means differently for each brand. Most F1 predictions have champions winning multiple races and consistently finishing on the podium. Meanwhile, many IndyCar drivers can win a title by winning just one or two races. On the flip side, they can also not win a title despite winning the most races.
This is something to consider for online sports betting on the outrights.
What would the current #INDYCAR Standings be if they used the #F1 Scoring System?
Well, here you go:
*Includes 1pt Fastest Lap Bonus
*Only the 25 Full-Timers listed
*Currently sorted to F1 Standings@spencerneff11 || @Eric_RaceReview || @merrickspeed || @gOffermann pic.twitter.com/4clAGUmZv2— Bryan (@500Indy1911) September 7, 2022
So F1 or IndyCar?
Both motorsports have their own appeal. F1 is considered more prestigious because it has a deeper history that spans across the globe. Many of motorsports’ greatest drivers like Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton have raced in F1 and are international icons.
But IndyCar has its own charm and continues to grow. Several racing legends have also made a name here like the Andrettis and Scott Dixon.
Either way, both are worth watching and betting. There will be Las Vegas odds available for both.
