P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Brown – F1 "not far away" from IndyCar level of convergence
IndyCar is known for its closely contested races, with Dallara-built cars that are mostly standardized, except for damper development and two different engine manufacturers. This results in highly competitive racing, with qualifying sessions on road courses often being covered by a margin of three tenths of a second or less. In contrast, F1 has also experienced tight qualifying sessions in 2023 due to the budget cap and teams converging on similar aerodynamic designs.
However, there is a difference in competitiveness on race day. In F1, Red Bull has dominated the 2023 season, winning all but one of the 22 races and Max Verstappen securing his third consecutive world title. On the other hand, IndyCar has seen seven different race winners across four teams, indicating a more diverse field of contenders.
Zak Brown, who is involved in both series, believes that F1 is not far from reaching a level of competitiveness similar to IndyCar. He expects that Formula 1 will become more like IndyCar, with a larger pool of drivers capable of winning races and a reduced level of dominance by a single team. Brown anticipates that in the future, seven or eight drivers could have a realistic chance of winning in any given weekend.
Regarding Red Bull’s current advantage, Brown notes that it remains to be seen how much more performance the team has in reserve, as they have been able to focus on developing the 2024 car earlier than their rivals. He also mentions that other teams, such as Ferrari and Mercedes, have shown strong performances, indicating that the field is not far away from achieving convergence.
Overall, Brown believes that F1 is heading towards a more competitive and exciting future, with a greater number of contenders vying for victory on a regular basis.
