Hey folks, welcome back to another edition of Ask Dre, where you the wonderful Motorsport101 Audience once a month, gets to ask me about the world of Motorsport, and I do my best to ramble together coherent answers on the subject matter. On this edition, more on Newey’s signing to Aston Martin, McLaren’s team orders decisions, future F1 calendar direction, and how I’d improve IndyCar. Enjoy!
If Roger Penske gave you the keys to the house to run Indycar for a year, what are your first 3 actions? – Max
Man, it’s an interesting time to answer this question when CEO Mark Miles was adamant in his defence that we’re not going back to old tracks that the series made famous. Man even said: “No fucking way” on a return to Watkins Glen, one of the most popular tracks in North America. Yeesh.
For me, I’d be basing it around three core principles:
1 – Promote, Promote, Promote
Accept the reality of the situation. You’re playing third in the pecking order right now behind NASCAR and F1 in North America. And NASCAR whips your arse, because the Cup Series, Xfinity Series and even the Trucks do better TV ratings on average. You are going to have to accept that if you want people to care about you, you’re going to have to spend money to make money. You’ve never recovered from the split and staying stagnant is not going to get those fans back.
Billboards, TV adverts, local radio, get your drivers out there in the city and doing events and working the media, you have more than enough personalities to do it. Hire a ton more social media folks, something MotoGP is seriously lacking. I’m not saying you have to gamble on a Mexico City race per se, as long term losing the gloss off that event would be the real test of how viable it is, but you’ve got to be prepared to take some chances to get your foot in the door. While I’m glad Milwaukee’s return did pretty well at 40,000 or so across its two races, these were IndyCar hardcores, not new fans.
Also, don’t punch up at F1. You will not win. The people who do care about you already know you’re better than them in terms of racing product. Making folks feel bad for liking that series isn’t going to get them to watch you. Market your own stars, there’s plenty of them. Josef Newgarden is a brilliant anti-hero, Alex Palou is a superb goodie-two-shoes babyface, you’ve got F1 Alumni like Romain Grosjean, a Gen Z likeable brat in David Malukas, etc. It doesn’t just all have to be about Santino Ferrucci. Highlight them all and people will engage, I promise.
If you can get people to care about you, they will move mountains for you.
2 – Clean Up Your Product
IndyCar will often hang its hat on how good its racing product is, but many series also have great racing if you care enough to watch. That alone is not a big enough hook. If it was, it wouldn’t be struggling to gain new fans.
Some of the gimmicks I’m glad are gone. You didn’t need to make the Indy 500 worth essentially triple points (Remember, qualifying used to be FULL race points not long ago), or have the silly double point finale. But we have to be more careful. The moment a car is in any kind of danger, throw a yellow flag immediately rather than wait to see if the leader can pit first.
Race Direction’s attitude towards hard racing, in general, needs to be looked at. Consistency needs to be the number 1 priority because no major racing series on Earth right now is getting this right. Are you allowed to run someone two wheels off the road? Do you have to give your opponent space? What do you consider avoidable contact? And why can’t you release statements on these decisions like F1, MotoGP, and even British and World Superbikes do? Transparency and integrity matter at this level.
Also, thin down the points system further. We don’t need three sets of bonus points. We don’t need a complicated 50-40-35-32-(Minus 2 to 10th, Minus -1 afterwards to 25th) system. Tracking title campaigns is a nightmare in real time, I found that out during Milwaukee when my Maths GCSE was working overtime.
3 – Look After Everyone
I’d be giving Prema a pair of Charters immediately. With the new regulations in place, if you’re okay with a 27-car field, why are you not okay with 27 charters, especially given you had the cheek to entertain all those offers from more teams? (Pratt Miller, Abel Motorsport for example)
As said before, Prema is now coming in with no chance of Leader’s Circle eligibility even if they make the Top 22, no protection via the Charter System and may not even make the grid for a race if someone else decides to bring in an extra car for a weekend as the grid for 2025 is now set at 27 with Chip Ganassi downsizing to three cars next year. I feel so bad for Prema because I genuinely don’t know what the point of them coming over is. We should be encouraging more teams to want to join the series, rather than deter them.
We need a new car. It’s embarrassing we’re still using a car that debuted when Michael Schumacher was still racing. It’ll be Year 14 by the time it’s cycled out of the plan is still 2027 for a new one. The issues with the hybrid conversion have partially stemmed because a small supercapacitor was all they could fit inside the car. And as much as the hybrids are far more likely to keep Honda onboard as a supplier in the long-run, it’s antiquated technology. The World Endurance Championship dropped them before Covid-19 hit. This won’t encourage a third manufacturer to join, and they’ve not made the racing any better.
And in regards to Miles’s comments on the calendar, it’s time the series humbles itself. I’m not living on this dream of a foreign race. We don’t race in Brazil, Japan or Mexico anymore and according to Elizabeth Blackstock at Planet F1, you’ve been delivering false dawns on a foreign expansion for the best part of a decade. In fact, according to Nascarman on Twitter, you’ve dropped FORTY-EIGHT tracks off the IndyCar schedule since 1996. No wonder the push has been for a Denver street track, you’re running out of racetracks to go to.
It’s time to start mending fences. Admit you got too big for your proverbials and bring the series back to tracks fans WANT to be at. Watkins Glen, Homestead, Michigan, and Montreal to name a few. No disrespect to any locals in other areas, but give me those over Portland, Iowa, Gateway and the B2B marketing weekend known as the Thermal Club.
Give me a year, and I think this would be the building blocks towards just changing the culture and the general vibes around IndyCar, which has taken a beating. People are fed up with the series looking foolish. I think this would help.
Does AMR getting Mr Newey automatically make them a title contender for 2026 onwards? (Other than Lance) – Toki
At this point, it’s hard to make excuses for the team going forward. In theory, they should have everything they need. They’ve still got an excellent lead driver… we think. Let’s be real here, Fernando Alonso as much as he says otherwise feels somewhat mentally checked out with this nothingburger of a 2024 car. But we all know that when Aston was hot in 2023, he was cooking with napalm. Delicious meals.
Alongside that, you’ve got Honda coming in as a factory supplier for your power unit in 2026, and they’re probably the best on the grid right now with Red Bull, even if the sticker’s different, it’s their IP. You’ve revamped your facility including a new windtunnel that should be ready to go for the regulation change as well and you’re hiring so your team size is around 1,000, which would be Championship level and close to the big hitters.
Newey for me, could solve what has been their biggest issue and that’s the development of their cars. Ever since that 2023 AMR rolled off the block, the team has never been able to maintain their level of performance, with the other big teams (And even some of the smaller ones) catching up and surpassing them.
Dan Fallows did a great job bringing that initial Red Bull knowledge across the county, but they haven’t known how to build upon that platform. They’ve now got the greatest F1 design mind of all time looking over their shoulder, a man with 12 Championships and 210+ wins under their belt, across four decades.
I think paying him allegedly £30 million a year is insanity (It’s Kylian Mbappe money), but his influence could be priceless if it gets this team cooking again. If you can sign Adrian Newey, you go get Adrian Newey. And if he can solve that problem, you could be looking at future contenders if they get the 2026 package right, even if the timing may be slightly out on that forecast.
Still… can’t be any worse than Lance Stroll in the second seat. (And honestly, he’s been fine this year.)
What does “Papaya rules” actually mean, and why hasn’t Mclaren backed Norris for the drivers championship yet? – Joe MacMillan
Starting to feel McLaren is hesitant at prioritising a driver because their current lead driver is not keen on chasing a driver’s title yet, while his teammate has started to show his true skills and hunger for leading the charge, and it’s too late to bench him now. What say you? – Mike Kobela
I decided to group these two because they both tread down similar ground, McLaren and the “Will they, Won’t they” on team orders.
First Joe, I suspect that Papaya Rules is just Zak Brown wanting to put his own marketing and branding spin on what we’d all call “rules for engagement”. It’s cringe as fuck. It’s exactly why most outsiders think F1 fans are dorks (And we are.). Racing clean, giving your opponent space and being respectful should be the default for teammates in a team sport, not special McLaren-only rules because you have two elite drivers in your team. There’s nothing proprietary there.
Beyond that, to play Devil’s Advocate on my argument from Monza, the only reasons I could think as to why McLaren wouldn’t be doing this by now is either the team or Lando himself isn’t confident they can make a run at the Driver’s title, or it values the relationship between their drivers higher in the long run. And given they’ll be teammates until 2027 at the earliest, I can understand some of that reason.
A lot of people argued that case in my X mentions over the last few days, as well as journos whose work I follow, and while I think you can make that argument, my stance is still adamant. We wouldn’t be having this conversation if McLaren had executed better as a team, and Lando was 20-40 points closer like I think he could have been by now. McLaren is good enough to win both titles and has been since Miami. Call me ruthless, but if I were Zak, if I got to Christmas and McLaren came within a race of winning both titles, I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night knowing that if my team had just been a bit more clinical across the board, they’d have won the title that everyone wants to win. Miss me with this bullshit about just “settling” for the Constructors, this is what elite sport is about.
And I get it – You don’t want to alienate Oscar potentially. And yes, he has been closer to Lando since McLaren truly looked like a contender. But all the numbers go against him. 10-6 in races head-to-head this year, 14-2 in Qualifying and he’s nearly three-tenths behind on the “Supertimes” advanced stat (fn), to go alongside the big 44-point deficit. I’ve been converted on Piastri and he has taken another forward step in his development, but I don’t think he’s done enough to demand equal treatment in what should be a McLaren chase down. I’d be telling Oscar: “We’ll reevaluate next year but for now, please support Lando.”
All this discussion has been to me has been McLaren fans defending the harmonious vibes of their under-performing team (Let’s not forget, you begged the anchor of your team to concede a win back in July), and downplaying just how good they have been. I agree with you Mike, it may be too late to pull rank now Oscar has had a taste of winning. And if they’re going to let the boys have at it, it will only open the door further for Max to retain his title.
Editor’s Note: And as we go into media day in Baku, look what’s happened, Piastri’s playing the team game. Told you…
What are your thoughts about Colapinto’s career going forward? Is this half a season, even if he does well, going to lead anywhere for him? Or maybe it’s just a case of 9 races is better than none, which is what the F2 winner will probably have to deal with due to limited seats. – Geoff
It’s a tricky one, Geoff. If you’re Franco, you have to take the opportunity, even if it’s on a part-time basis. Just getting nine races in F1 is a priceless opportunity and at the bare minimum, a chance to put yourself out there in the shop window. You can’t say no to that.
Beyond 2024, who knows? He could go back for another year in F2, but it’s going to be an even tougher sell to get on the 2025 grid with Bearman, Antonelli and Alpine’s faith in Jack Doohan taking up even more seats as new investments. Audi-Sauber has their own fleet of solid talent to pick from too, and there’s other young talent on the grid he’s fighting with like Isack Hadjar and this month’s hot option – McLaren’s Gabriel Borteleto.
I think he’d be a fine fit in Sportscars given his experience in the European and Asian Le Mans Series if no F1 team comes knocking, I think he’d be capable of at least a LMP2 IMSA or Hypercar seat in the World Endurance Championship either way. It’s nothing against him, he’s a good talent and had a great F1 debut, I just fear for how hard it’s going to be to get on that grid anytime soon.
What percent of Indy drivers could jump in one of the top four F1 teams and make a go of it? And vice versa for F1 guys in one of the top Indy teams? Probably already been answered and debated to death but you know it’s fun, right? – Angus
It’s always a fun debate, and who doesn’t love to speculate to accumulate?
The “Elite” club of IndyCar drivers who I think could go to F1 and be pretty serviceable with full backing and support for me – Alex Palou, Josef Newgarden, Scott McLaughlin, Will Power, Pato O’Ward and Scott Dixon. They’re for me, the cream of the crop in the series and they could likely go over there tomorrow and be great. There are a few more I think are close, or aren’t far off that level either – Kyle Kirkwood, Colton Herta, Marcus Ericsson (Who has already shown to be a serviceable F1 driver), Christian Lundgaard, etc.
McLaughlin in particular deserves extra flowers because this is a guy who was dominant in Aussie Supercars, and hadn’t driven a single-seater in years, got to IndyCar and within a year was challenging on all fronts. That’s insane and proof he’s as good as anyone in the world today. It’s why I was so mad at the multiple Kyle Larson debates that have been had comparing him to Max Verstappen when McLaughlin is RIGHT THERE as a more relevant example compared to Larson’s World of Outlaws runs and no one gives a shit, because IndyCar.
The bar for F1 is likely going to be lower. If Marcus Ericsson and Romain Grosjean have come over to IndyCar and gained footholds with decent results, with F2 mainstays like Lundgaard, Illot, Armstrong and Pourchaire showing promise, it’s proof to me that a serviceable F2 driver or better could go over there and make it. I’d love more definitive proof, but good luck convincing an F1 boss to take another punt on one after Helmut Marko did for Nyck De Vries in Formula E last year. Oof.
What do you think is the future of the Canadian GP with there now being so many North American GPs? Is being the most constant NA round enough to keep it on the schedule when many traditional GP’s aren’t? (Asked by a Canadian) – Matthew
It’s an interesting one, Matt. For me, the Canadian GP this year was interesting in the sense that it was the first time that Canada looked a little behind the 8-ball. Reports of security and organisational issues came around during that weekend and it seems the facilities at the track were stretched come race time.
I don’t think Canada has got too much to worry about in the short to medium term. I get the fears, F1 has pushed hard for more North American presence in recent years and three US races as well as a packed-out Mexico City could make Canada feel a little short, but as I’ve mentioned before on Ask Dre, with the sport pushing for more in Asia with Thailand and South Korea back on the menu, I think it’s more likely the European base gets squeezed out first.
Imola I think is next to be chopped, there’s already rumours Spa and Zandvoort might become rotational, France and Germany have disappeared entirely and a lot of the big Asian rounds have gotten the 10-15 year extensions. You can see the cake that F1’s trying to bake here and I don’t think Canada’s anywhere near coming off the recipe. Yet.
