James Hinchcliffe, a veteran racer who competed in IndyCar for 11 seasons, is now a commentator and pundit in F1. With his deep familiarity with both disciplines, he believes there is a lot they can learn from each other.
In a recent Red Flags podcast appearance, the hosts asked Hinchcliffe what he would like to see done better in IndyCar and F1. The six-time IndyCar race winner replied that banning tire warmers would be a welcome change in the world of F1.
This has been a bone of contention among the teams and FIA in recent years. “I think tire warmers are a big detractor of actual racing,” Hinchcliffe said.
He revealed how F1 cars often have tires near optimal temperature windows and do not require more than a lap or two to warm them up to the ideal temperature. So, as long as drivers come out ahead of their immediate rivals, they will most likely retain their position.
Confused by some F1 drivers’ reluctance to ban tire warmers. It makes for better racing, it highlights the skill of driving on cold tires, and it saves a ton of money/pollution from freight and energy consumption. The argument that it’s dangerous has been disproven in many…(1/3)
— James Hinchcliffe (@Hinchtown) February 25, 2023
In IndyCar on the other hand, there are no tire-warming blankets, so the drivers get cold tires after making a pit-stop. The Canadian former driver highlighted the difficulty in managing those by saying, “Dude, it is hard, it is super-f**king hard and so that’s also what’s kind of separates some of the great drivers from the good ones.”
The 38-year-old also advocated for the return of refueling in between F1 races, since it would spice strategies up a lot more. It would be a change from the current status quo with only tire compound permutations at play, but he knows that it won’t happen anytime soon due to safety concerns associated with it.
IndyCar can learn from F1’s marketing
As for where IndyCar could improve, Hinchcliffe pointed to the marketing efforts of F1. He clearly stated that F1 has been much more successful in boosting its popularity compared to IndyCar. While the American open-wheel series has top-notch racing action and features more competitive events, it falls behind in promotional aspects.
Hinchcliffe feels IndyCar should learn from F1 on how to get more spotlight on its drivers.
There was a time when only the biggest stars in F1 — the likes of Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, and Michael Schumacher — got all the attention. Now, even those who aren’t Champions — Carlos Sainz, Lando Norris, George Russell, etc. — have garnered significant attention from F1’s ever-increasing fanbase.
Liberty Media’s marketing strategy and the advent of Drive to Survive has changed that. On top of that, new races in Miami, Las Vegas, Jeddah, and Qatar have opened up a wider target market with the availability of F1’s broadcast of races and its other content making it easier for newer fans to familiarize themselves with the sport as quickly as possible.
