F1 vs NASCAR: An Unfair Comparison
Sports Illustrated has enlisted two of its writers to debate which auto racing discipline is harder to drive: F1 or NASCAR?
A laudable exercise I suppose, at least a comparison worthy of debate. And very timely with NASCAR entering its four week and the F1 Circus unfolding its tent at Albert Park this weekend.
Aside from that if you’re allotted a set number of magazine pages or digital space you have to fill it up right?
Lars Anderson was assigned, or chosen to take the side of Formula One. To say his effort is feckless would be an understatement.
He starts with the usual and generally accepted points of difference: “F1 cars possess far more acceleration and far better grip than the Cup cars” and because of that increased performance “they’re dealing with more negative G-forces on nearly every turn than the Cup boys are.”
As I said Anderson at this point in the debate demonstrates he’s a Master of Stating the Obvious. No one would disagree higher performance brings with it higher physical demands on the driver. Although it has to be said it speaks more to the physical condition of the individual driver and not his skill level behind the wheel.
At this point Anderson jumps off into a sort of perpendicular universe to complete his thoughts on F1:
When was the last time a former full-time NASCAR driver won a race on the F1 circuit? Um … well, it’s never happened. Conversely, just two Sundays ago, there was Juan Pablo Montoya, not even a year removed from Formula One, taking the checkered flag in the Busch Series event in Mexico City in just the seventh Busch start of his fledgling stock car career.The implication of Montoya’s victory is obvious: F1 guys can win in NASCAR; NASCAR drivers, at least according to history, can’t win in F1.
Well then… issue settled. Game, set match!
Except it’s not and Lars offers some very thin gruel to support his side. He states the obvious that everyone agrees is fact then cites a Montoya “crossover” win in the Busch Series as supporting evidence.
Excuse me for also stating the obvious Lars, but if no NASCAR driver has ever attempted to compete in F1 how does that prove they can’t?
Is Lars implying NASCAR drivers are too physically challenged or, dare I say it, stupid (insert obligatory Redneck ref here), to compete at the F1 level? I’ll leave that to my readers to decide.
At this point the Half-Vast Staff
“That difference in technology yields the starkest contrast between the two: In NASCAR, the driver wins the race, while in Formula One the car does.
Peterg: Yes, I noticed that Billy Bob Montoya has put on a few pounds! He’s fitting in nicely. Is he developing a taste for buffalo wings?
I disagree about choosing F1 over NASCAR. Although I don’t like ovals much, NASCAR’s niche is competition, and that makes for better racing, on balance — in my opinion. For me, it doesn’t matter how great F1 cars, drivers, and tracks are, if I know who is going to win before the green flag drops, I’m not interested.
This is why I believe CCWS is the finest auto racing series in the world. It’s the best of all worlds — competitive, fast open-wheel cars, road courses (except for pathetic street circuits), talented drivers, few driving aids.
I think there’s no question that it takes more talent / skill to drive F1 successfully than to drive Cup successfully. F1’s faster cars and more challenging tracks make this question moot.
That said, there are drivers, like Jeff Gordon, for whom stock cars can’t adequately measure driver skill.
Lastly, driving a Cup car, even on an oval, is more difficult than most people realize. My experience is limited to Papyrus NASCAR 2003 Racing Season, one of the most accurate simulators ever made for the PC. It’s very difficult.
Cup cars have somewhere around 800hp and suffer a severe lack of grip. It would be like driving a rear-drive sports car, like a Corvette, on ice.
Throw in the weird aerodynamics of large cars traveling at 200mph, and relatively low amounts of aerodynamic downforce, and you’re left with cars that are extremely difficult to drive competitively. This is why Montoya is struggling on ovals during a race, but is qualifying well.
haha,trying to compare F1 and NASCAR,i don’t believe this,and then people wrting about it,hehe,and then some reacting to it,like me!
There’s a legit comparison that can be made Rob, but to try making by saying no NASCAR drivers have run in F1 as Lars Anderson has done is idiotic.
One thing I should have added to the post was the name Mario Andretti. Although primarily an oval racer he’s still the only driver ever to win the Indianapolis 500 (1969), the Daytona 500 (1967), and the Formula One World Championship.
Granted that’s a single example but it shows it can be done.
I disagree with tossing Mario’s name into this particular debate.
Mario was principally an open wheel oval-road-sports car racing guy who ALSO won a Daytona 500; not a NASCAR driver who ALSO happened to win other series titles. A great achievement still, but not germaine to the discussion. Come up with a full time NASCAR driver who then went out and won open wheel races-titles, that is the point of your discussion, no?
In today’s day and age of driver contracts and huge incomes (can you say Jeff Gordon?) in Cup, that opportunity may never present itself again.
George, I tossed Mario in because he was generally considered “an oval guy” much like NASCAR drivers.
It’s anecdotal evidence, but Tim Richmond was dominate in NASCAR during his time and in his only attempt at Indy finished in ninth place.
My only point is the top drivers in NASCAR can and have competed equally with those of F1. Just because they require a different skill set to compete in the two disciplines in no way proves they can’t.
Ell, I think Mario Andretti has won both F 1 and NASCAR, and INDY ( lots of F 1 drivers used to win INDY - G.Hill, J.CLark, etc. Ahh the good ‘ole days - Turbine cars, etc. fun.)
Yea, I think J.Gordon ‘could’ win F1 if given 2 seasons to acclimate. How about 2 twheel M’Cycle racing - way back when, I think J.Surtees won at both. NASCAR’s such wimps, - cycle racing runs in the rain, on rain tires. as does F1. Nascar - 2 drops, stop.