The RACER Mailbag, September 3

On Sep 4, 2025

Welcome to the RACER Mailbag. Questions for any of RACER’s writers can be sent to mailbag@racer.com. We love hearing your comments and opinions, but letters that include a question are more likely to be published. Questions received after 3pm ET each Monday will be saved for the following week.

NOTE: We received a few letters about Will Power’s exit from Team Penske, but they all arrived after we shut the gates on questions for this week’s Mailbag. Look for them in next week’s edition – ED.

Q: If IndyCar is going to do an overseas set of races, let’s do them early in the morning U.S. time leading into FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff. FOX is fairly busy on Saturday and Sunday in the fall with football, but what about the Saturday morning time slot? I love the idea of waking up with an Indycar race leading into a day of football. It seems to work for F1. Most Big Noon Kickoff shows start at 10, although some start at 9. Seems like getting a 7am IndyCar race would work for most events.

While we are at it, let’s just use a playoff-style format for an overseas set of races. Do whatever. Let FOX decide. I don’t care. I just would like to see IndyCars going fast in November.

Sasha

MARSHALL PRUETT: It will have been 13 years since the last Brazil race that IndyCar ventured beyond the USA and Canada when it goes to Mexico next year, so I have limited faith in an overseas barnstorming routine materializing. It would be a blast, but I don’t expect to need my passport for a bunch of international races.

Q: The F1 summer break seems like a golden opportunity for IndyCar to get in front of fans in Europe.

Take those three weekends and race on F1 tracks that have fallen off the calendar. In the not-too-distant future Spa, Barcelona, Zandvoort and Imola will be in that list, along with several others. I know it is a fantasy, but it sure would be fun.

Ben, Wilmington, NC

MP: It would. Last time IndyCar racing had a solid European stint was 2007 with Champ Car.

Q: I have been reading with interest rumors regarding IndyCar returning to Phoenix next season. I attended many races at PIR when the open-wheel series was a regular on the schedule back in the day. Unfortunately, when the races were resumed after a several years’ hiatus, they were not very entertaining and the attendance was low. While I would be thrilled to have an IndyCar race back here in Phoenix, I am wondering if the racing would be any better now than it was then. Do you have an opinion on what to expect?

Paul, Arizona

MP: The 2016 and 2017 races were with manufacturer aero kits and those weren’t amazing; 2018 with the universal aero kit was more entertaining, but both were in very different specs than today’s car. Short oval racing in the hybrid aeroscreen era has been generally good to great, so I’m confident IndyCar can find the right downforce level to put on a proper show.

Q: While reading your recent article on the 2026 schedule, something caught my eye. You said: “provided it (St. Petersburg) holds its traditional place as the first IndyCar event of the season.” Is there a possibility the season starts earlier at some point in the future, and where would be a viable option? I think the answer to extending the season is starting earlier instead of ending later. I think starting the week before the Super Bowl would be great.

Brian, Joliet, IL

MP: I put that in there since we don’t have a schedule and the series has often suggested it could drop something earlier in the year. Other things I’ve heard since that article: IndyCar might not be the featured race on Saturday at Phoenix; if true, a morning race slot before the NASCAR Xfinity Series race could be the reality. Also heard putting WWTR the week after Detroit is likely.

Q: Is it possible that the Honda Canada and dealers’ involvement that has kept the Toronto IndyCar race going since 2009 is now disappearing? Recent stories regarding the uncertain future of the event, particularly your mention of the town of Markham, make me suspect desperate last-minute attempts to keep it alive by trying to get more money from local municipal governments.

Keith Baxter, Toronto, ON

MP: Not that I know of. Honda has a big corporate presence near the new race location.

Q: Can you please explain how a 1.33-mile race track is considered a superspeedway? I thought they had to be at least two miles or more to be considered a superspeedway. I’m so confused.

Dave

MP: I can’t find a Court of Track Naming Requirements, so there’s no “had to be” involved here. Sounds like the people who own the track want to call it a superspeedway, so they do. I have the same pet peeve with adding “International” to track names.

Q: Thoughts on FOX’s first year with IndyCar.
TL:DR Disappointed. Letter grade C. Barely.

1) Early ads and promotions were great. Super Bowl included. A
2) Teething pains. Constant timing and scoring snafus lasting well into the season were a bad look and not inspiring hope for presumed improvement attempts. C-
3) Pit reporting. Solid A. Georgia, Kevin and Jack are fantastic. Kudos to Jack, who was literally thrown in the week before St. Pete with zero training.
4) TV timing. Too many races that started the broadcast late or ended very early due to other FOX Sports properties. Either IndyCar is a priority, or it isn’t. Can’t have it both ways. Trying to attract new audiences when a broadcast starts 20 min late is an epic fail. D
5) Chris Meyers. I’d be kind but it’s not possible. He’s simply horrible. If this is what’s in store with FOX’s ownership stake, we are all in trouble. F

6) Announcers. Really mixed. Will did great research and hit the ground running. Good. Unfortunately, as the season went on his overexuberance and hyperbolic nature took over. Not everything is “lovely,” Will. He teally needs to dial it down and be the play by play announcer by role. C. Townsend. Sounds like a 50-year-old trying way too hard to be the cool guy in school. Cut the high school lingo. We never need to hear “sketch” again. C- Hinch. Exhibit A for a professional racing analyst. A.
7) Technology. Mixed bag. Some very good cutaway car and suspension setting animations. Early blocking of aeroscreen sponsors not good. Not fixing it immediately, really not good. Driver eye view excellent, but why limit its use? C+

Mike DeQuardo, Malibu of the Midwest – Sheboygan

MP: Chef’s kiss for the TL;DR usage. I felt 2010 sweep over me.

Mike from Sheboygan’s verdict is in. James Black/IMS

Q: I think Nashville had more racing and more excitement than the last six F1 races together, yet F1 seems to have some unexplained mystique that brought more than 360,000 people to the dunes of Zandvoort last weekend just to watch a procession. Maybe if Verstappen moved stateside the stands here would be filled?

Two points. If a car causes a caution to be thrown, e.g. McLaughlin, why is that driver permitted to retain his position on the track?

Secondly, one wonders why they bring out the sweepers at that point of the race. If there was really concern about marbles, maybe there should have been a mandatory caution at half-distance. This seems to me that this wan attempt, on both counts, to manage the outcome.

Finally, FOX has certainly worked hard but the season-ending trophy presentation was pathetic. Did they forget to tell people? Townsend and James are terrific, but my goodness do we miss Leigh Diffey! And let’s hope they leave Danica at home next year.

Enjoy your off-season

Chris H, Alexandria, VA

MP: It’s an interesting point on cautions. If a driver causes something as minimal as a local yellow in qualifying, they lose something as punishment – their two fastest laps – but there’s no punishment for bringing out a caution in the race. That seems unbalanced.

Q: Not since Eliseo Salazar tried to plant Davy Jones into the IMS inside wall have I see the kind of wreckless, insane driving as we’ve witnessed this season, culminating in the hooking at high speed in Portland of Conor Daly by the now-praised Christian Rasmussen, and only furthered by ROTY Louis Foster dumping David Malukas at 190mph into Nashville’s Turn 1 wall.

Race control cannot be ripped away from IndyCar any faster, before a driver’s life is seriously put on the line. A drive-through penalty for both? Are we joking? These were moves NASCAR drivers made, at far lower speeds, on short tracks 30-40 years ago. Not far more dangerous open-wheel speeds/cars.

Those drivers deserved to be ejected from both races and disqualified from the following event. The complete lack of care from IndyCar officials is totally shocking to me!

Greg, NJ

MP: Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Greg.

Q: So IndyCar actually gives an award to a rookie clown who sends one of its brightest stars to the hospital with a blatant and egregious blocking maneuver? I would hope Bobby Rahal would show some class and leadership by insisting it not be accepted.

David Spear

MP: At least we aren’t overreacting.

Bad move by Louis with the block. Malukas crowded downward in Turn 1 and made contact with Foster. Clear as day on the replays. Obviously wasn’t intentional by Malukas, unless he wanted to crash. The award is based on 17 races, not one. There’s nothing to give back.

If there’s something to be embarrassed about, it’s how the ROTY was settled between drivers finishing P23 and P24 in the championship. That’s dreadful. If the ROTY can’t finish inside the top 20 in any season, maybe the series holds onto the award.

The last one in 2024 with Linus Lundqvist? P16. The year before? Marcus Armstrong, P20, while skipping five oval races! Foster’s RLL predecessor Christian Lundgaard in 2022? Try P14.

Q: Can it be told who is the phenomenal and spectacular flagman I witnessed at the Milwaukee and Nashville races? Never paid much attention to a flagman, but this dude is bad to the bone waving a flag. He deserves a shoutout for displaying out of this world flagman ship that was way to cool to watch. Does Penske/ IndyCar employ him for all races? Forgive me if I’m out of touch and should know who it is I’m witnessing.

Timothy S., Nashville, TN

MP: No worries. That’s the exemplary Aaron Likens. His autobiography, “Playing in traffic, My journey from an autism diagnosis to the Indy 500 flagstand” is well worth buying.

Q: I remember bemoaning the necessary decision to abandon the crazy crash-filled street races at Nashville and move to the speedway, but I’m not looking back now. Sunday’s race was very entertaining, starting with the new speedway hero Rasmussen crashing on lap one and finishing with Newgarden’s late drive-by of his brave but wounded teammate. I think Scotty Mac has totally found his groove and he’s a must-watch these days.

Aside from amazing drives by some of the usual suspects and some not yet usual suspects (Simpson comes to mind), there were also two driver mistakes that stood out. I think Foster should have been given a drive-through for his dangerous darting move in front of Malukas, although the ensuing wreck was a joint effort.

And then there was Will Power’s unfortunate pit stop. I was gutted for him since it looked like he could win the race, which I really wanted to see. The boo-boo proabably wasn’t determinative of his future with Penske, but it wasn’t a good look. Hopefully he’ll be in the series for years to come. He and Dixon can win a bunch more races before they hang it up.

Firestone is taking some hits on the tire front and maybe there’s room for improvement, but look what they’re up against. The cars are heavy, they’re laterally loaded for much of a lap, the surface is rough and drivers at those high but sub-Indy speeds are comfortable using some slip, which means lots of deg. I’m amazed the right fronts last as long as they do. Are the teams saying the tires need big changes?

I can’t wait for the 2026 season to start and I’m glad that FOX is already promoting it, including specific mention of the St. Pete IndyCar/NASCAR Trucks jamboree. How great is that? The trucks will be a good draw and no doubt they’ll put on a good show. I hope manufacturers and sponsors see value in the series. The racing is fabulous and there’s enough drama, storylines and personalities to satisfy even a F1 fan. The future looks good to me.

Chris, Colorado

MP: Foster did receive a drive-through. O’Ward was the only driver to have a failure in the race; Palou’s was due to a cut. Agreed on the future. Really hoping we’re going to see a few crossover drives at St. Pete with IndyCar aces having Truck rides.

Q: I’m glad IndyCar and NASCAR are both doing a joint event at Phoenix, but it would have been better if they would have done it a COTA. Hopefully the people at FOX Sports will help make it possible in 2027 or 2028.

Alistair, Springfield, MO

MP: Give me Phoenix every time.

That’s a no-ta to COTA. Scott LePage/Honda

Q: Please explain the non-contact unsafe pit release. When a frontrunner exits their pit stall and a backmarker has to whoa up but no contact happens, why is that considered unsafe? Why doesn’t the backmarker share a bit of the responsibility? It happened to Herta on Sunday, but I think it happened a race or two ago as well.

Kyle

MP: Because a foul is a foul. There’s no “that’s a star and that’s a backmarker, so the backmarker has to give way on pit lane.” Penalties are given for blocking in the races, for impeding in qualifying, and blocking/impeding on pit lane in the race is no different in how it slows the affected driver.

Q: Great racing at Nashville, but disappointed by the crowd numbers. When all the construction is done in downtown Nashville, will the race return for street race? There were issues with the previous layout and hopefully those will be corrected if they return. Regardless of course layout problems, there was great energy from the crowd and a real party atmosphere that an end of the season race needs. Actually, ALL the races need to have a party atmosphere.

Dave

MP: I need to inquire about the downtown return. I took a photo of the crowd shortly at the start in 2024, then wandered out and took the same-ish grandstand shot on Sunday and it was a bit lighter than last year, which is unfortunate. Not a huge difference, but a slight decline. The racing was quite good for the second consecutive visit, so that side is working.

But the barely-half-full stands are visibly underwhelming for any series’ big sendoff to the season. I hope IndyCar can swap them going forward and move Nashville ahead of Milwaukee.

Q: I read that Grosjean wants to be an IndyCar driver again. Any chance? If so, with who? Thanks. (I read your driver updates, and don’t recall mention of him).

Red

MP: Just the story we published last week.

Q: Help me understand the logic in the Colton Herta-to-F2 rumors. If he’s desperate for the Super License, he can do six F1 FP1s with Cadillac and he’s on 40 points. He could probably even do that after the ‘26 IndyCar season if he needed to. By going to F2 he’s setting himself up to fail unless he dominates, and even then it will be seen as a hollow win given his experience.

Is Power’s availability playing into this (i.e. they know they have a very solid option unexpectedly available, so let’s experiment with Herta and get him ready for F1)?

Also had a question about Abel, DeFrancesco and Robb, who were so far away from the Leaders Circle. Is it financially worth it for teams to have such underwhelming drivers, meaning they don’t have a chance at Leaders Circle money? Abel’s qualifying run at Nashville was slower than most drivers’ warm-up laps. Surely that’s not good enough at this level?

Paul, Glasgow, Scotland

MP: I’ve heard nothing to suggest Colton is desperate to do F1. I’ve heard it’s his bosses who want the driver they’ve been paying like he’s in F1 to become eligible to race in the series they thought he and they would be entering a few years ago.

It’s the dumbest thing I’ve heard of in a long time, but if I’m running a brand-new F1 team, I’m not asking for any more curveballs and distractions than are necessary, and trying to wedge Colton in for a bunch of FP1s is the last thing I’d want if I were running the team.

Jacob qualified at 195.7mph. His esteemed teammate VeeKay, with an engineering legend in charge of his car, qualified right next to him at 197.3mph. VeeKay’s two-lap qualifying run lasted 48.5s and Abel’s took 48.9s. Maybe both aren’t good enough if that’s the filter being applied?

Most teams who know they will be at risk of losing out on a Leaders Circle with a paying driver have gotten wise and included a clause that obligates the paying party to fork out the missing $1 million.

Q: After I got back from Sunday’s race, I couldn’t help but think about how well Nashville turned out for IndyCar for a second year in a row. From where I was sitting, the grandstands seemed pretty crowded, maybe two-thirds to three-quarters full. (Now, I also said that last year, only to later see comments online about how empty the stands looked on TV).

Honestly, after seeing the lackluster crowds at WWTR and Iowa, I was wondering if the ovals on the IndyCar schedule outside Indianapolis needed to go the way of the dodo. However, the turnout at Milwaukee and Nashville is bringing me around to the idea that short ovals may have a future on the IndyCar schedule after all.

As for the event itself, everything was fantastic. Great facility and staff, awesome pre-race concert courtesy of The All American Rejects, and of course, the race was a smash hit. I know the corporate types love the aesthetics of street racing and are still mourning the loss of the old downtown circuit, but for this race fan, Nashville Superspeedway is doing just fine!

Garrick

MP: Here are the two photos from 2024 and 2025.

This was a 100-percent Penske Entertainment promotion after Scott Borchetta’s Big Machine group handled last year’s event. The bones of a successful event in terms of turnout are there, but the volume of empty seats say IndyCar is maybe 50 percent there at the speedway.

2024

2025

Q: I attended the IndyCar race at Nashville and once again had a fantastic time. I was very pleased to see such a big crowd for three reasons: the championship was decided two races ago yet fans turned out anyway, Labor Day weekend is always tough to compete with, and college football started this weekend.

For the second weekend in a row we’ve had a great turnout for an oval race without having to resort to country music superstars. This is a great result and is very encouraging for IndyCar going forward.

What do you estimate the crowd size was on Sunday at Nashville? Did the crowd meet or exceed Penske Entertainment’s expectations in you view?

Kevin P., Los Angeles, CA

MP: I believe I was told the stands hold 18-20,000 people, so a fraction of that. The crowd appeared to be a touch smaller than last year, so no, I can’t imagine it met the series’ expectations. But I am thankful for the awesome folks who turned out in 90-ish degrees to farewell the season.

Q: I wanted to write and say how much I enjoyed the race in Nashville. It was entertaining and a lot of drama from green flag to the checkered flag. The lead changed many times and I was cheering on each new driver that took the lead. I was thinking how great it would have been if Will Power had hung on for the win when he got the lead with his contract with Penske being up at the end of the race. It was a beautiful day here in Michigan but I am glad I spent 2 1/2 hours sitting inside in my recliner watching the fastest cars in the world. Bring on St. Petersburg!

Don, Grand Rapids, MI

MP: Agreed on DJ Willy P. Great side-by-side racing, some crashes and cautions to jumble things up, and Penske getting back to where it belongs while the new champ showed – yet again –he’s become one of the top two or three oval racers in IndyCar. Not back for a kid from Spain who’d never seen an oval until 2020.

Q: With a third ownership into IndyCar and with the marketing prowess of FOX Sports, it appears they have more say in determining new racing venues on the schedule, including for the two- to three-week chasms between races at the start of the season – and after the high attendance and viewership St. Petersburg race that occurs around March 1, when interest is at its peak.

Next year, the Arlington Grand Prix is a given on March 15, and there’s serious talk that new races at Phoenix Raceway (possible joint weekend with NASCAR) and the long-awaited Mexico City race before Long Beach might arrive on the schedule. And I read that a Washington, D.C. street race is being contemplated later in the season to commemorate our nation’s 250th birthday, and hopefully be a segue into the Northeast market for IndyCar in future years.

But with Thermal off the schedule for at least a year (until they permanently build a grandstand for the viewing of 5,000 to 10,000 people and other changes) and the potential loss of one or both of the Iowa races, we seemingly are back to square one around 18 races, if the other racing venues of this year are retained. Is it possible that Penske Entertainment allows one last shot at it and gives Iowa the double, but demand to the promoters that the races are held under the lights when air temperatures are cooler and more fans will likely attend?

With IndyCar trying to retain and add more ovals, I caught wind of some scuttlebutt coming down from the press box and comments of some the spotters to the top row seats where my son and I were sitting at the Milwaukee Mile on Aug. 24. Maybe because of the size of the vocal and enthusiastic crowd, they were saying that the Milwaukee Mile will be getting an August doubleheader race next year – as they did in 2024, when 42,000 fans showed up for the three-day event. And why not, the racing the last two years has been spectacular!

With that being said and what you are hearing, do you think IndyCar will get to 20 or more races on the 2026 schedule?

Dale, Cedarburg WI

MP: I haven’t heard of 20. I’d welcome it if the 20 are additive, meaning they bring proper crowds and ratings. If it’s 20 with a few extra duds, no thanks. Penske Entertainment rented the Iowa track and put on the race itself, so there’s no promoter to make demands to; it’s what they would be able to negotiate with the track owner for track usage and timing in whatever it pays to rent the facility.

Q: I’m curious to hear your thoughts regarding Milwaukee’s future on the schedule. With several holes to fill in the schedule, and an exciting race at the Mile this year with a healthy crowd in the stands, does it make sense to you to move the race back to a doubleheader?

Would it make more sense to finish the season at Wisconsin State Fair Park? It’s a challenging track with a passionate fanbase and within driving distance of Indy and many other Midwest hub cities for IndyCar.

I understand it’s just been on the schedule for two years, but if the Mile can’t have the original date of the week after Indy, why not see what it can do as the finale? Perhaps a Saturday night under the (portable) lights?

Also, why not have all of the Road to Indy series competing at Milwaukee? Again, it’s not a far drive for the mostly Midwest-based teams, and it gets young drivers more oval experience while introducing them to the fans with a full day of races.

Will, Wisconsin

MP: The USF Championships series wrapped their seasons at Portland. I’d love to see them at Milwaukee, but it would mean dropping another race since they need to be mindful of annual budgets.

The USF Championships at Milwaukee would be cool, but more races would mean bigger budgets. Image by USF Pro Championships

Q: My question is about the timing display used during FOX Sports race broadcasts. I really appreciate the banner that shows how far drivers are behind the leader, it’s incredibly useful. However, I’d like to suggest an additional display showing the time gaps between adjacent drivers. This would help viewers, commentators, and the entire broadcast team more easily identify where the on-track action is happening.

F1 broadcasts regularly include this kind of information, and I imagine it would be relatively straightforward to implement. The added data would really enhance the viewing experience.

The reason I’m reaching out is that I’m not sure who to contact or how to formally make this suggestion. I’m hoping you can help point me in the right direction.

Bruce

MP: The @IndyCaron FOX social media accounts are your best way to communicate with the folks in question.

Q: Is there any merit to a recent post on Twitter from a motorsports reporter suggesting that Dennis Hauger has already signed with Juncos Hollinger for next season? Although he doesn’t seem to be a trust fund kid (to the best of my knowledge), he does seem to bring some consistent funding from RG from F2 to Indy NXT. How much would that factor into his potential ride for next year on top of his scholarship money?

Also what the chances of Watkins Glen returning to the schedule anytime in the short to middle term future? It’s too good and historic of a track to be left off the calendar.

Alex, Buffalo, NY

MP: Since I don’t know what Twitter post you’re referencing, is it an actual IndyCar writer who posted that, as in a journalist whose work is held to a high standard, or just somebody with a social media account who “covers” IndyCar? There’s a huge difference. The latter is where most of the nonsense is generated.

I chatted with JHR team principal Dave O’Neill on Friday at Milwaukee and jokingly congratulated him on his new driver. He laughed and said thanks, and then asked if he should actually meet Dennis before signing him… He then shared how he believes the rumor got started, and I’ll leave that story between us.

Been told for a while now to look for Dennis at Coyne with funding from Andretti to develop for a season – a la Kirkwood at Foyt for his rookie campaign – before being called back to the mothership in 2027.

Dennis was good enough to go straight into IndyCar in 2025 but did not have the budget. Indy NXT is 10-15 percent of an annual IndyCar budget, so while it can only help, his NXT-level funding isn’t going to get him an IndyCar seat. Plus, he’s too talented to need to pay.

WGI is one of those dream returns, but I don’t know of anybody wanting to fork out millions to promote a standalone IndyCar race. If WGI was part of FOX’s NASCAR broadcast schedule, I’d feel more confidence in seeing a combo event with Cup, but it isn’t so I’ll have to get my annual Watkins fix by attending IMSA’s Sahlen’s Six Hours at The Glen.

Q: I saw that Cusick Motorsports finally announced that they’re jumping into Indy NXT in collaboration with HMD. That will bring the team count in Indy NXT to seven, if I’m not mistaken. What does this signal for Indy NXT? Are we seeing heightened interest in the feeder series? Will it attract more talent to the Indy ladder? I think Dennis Hauger is a great example of the talent that NXT can attract.

I’ve been watching the NXT broadcasts on FOX and it, for obvious reasons, doesn’t get as much attention. However, there can be some good racing to watch. They’re out there trying to prove something. How can IndyCar and FOX elevate Indy NXT? On the NASCAR side of things, it seems like the Xfinity series gets a good amount of attention. If the next NXT car, whenever they bring that to market, can make 500hp versus the 450hp they make now, I think that could help elevate the on-track product. They should bring Indy NXT closer to F2 and move IndyCar closer to F1 in terms of power and track times.

Ben, Berkley, MI

MP: IndyCar and NXT should be exactly what they are, which isn’t F1 or F2. We have our own cars, our own culture and our own history. Maybe they should be more like us.

Yes, NXT is set to grow next season. An extra 50hp won’t make a difference. Kyle Kirkwood kicked ass in this NXT car and look where he’s at today. Pato O’Ward and Colton Herta kicked ass in this car, and look where they’re at. There’s no changes needed to make IndyCar’s final ladder more or less than what it is because the output of talent with the likes of Christian Rasmussen and Linus Lundqvist and Louis Foster says so.

FOX Sports can make more of an emphasis to promote NXT, which is the obvious answer. After years of being buried on streaming via Peacock, it’s been great to see NXT emerge from the shadows and gain some well-deserved recognition on cable. That’s they way it once was for the American Racing Series, then Indy Lights when its name was changed. There’s no mystery about how to make more from what it is today.

Q: I understand the need for paying drivers in IndyCar. What I don’t understand is keeping a driver in a car who is not up to the standards of either the series or team they drive for. There have been a number of examples over the years but I’m thinking of two current examples. The first is Jacob Abel and the second is Nolan Siegel.

Abel is clearly not up to the standards of IndyCar. The last time I remember a moving chicane like him in the series it was Milka Duno, who fans were outraged about prior to her finally ending her IndyCar run. I get that Abel’s family has enough money to buy his seat, but doesn’t IndyCar and Dale Coyne want someone in the series/ car who is also a capable driver?

As far as Seigel, he is a bit of a different case. He seems to have the talent to drive in the series, although it seems he could use some experience in a seat like DCR before living up to the standards of one of the top teams. Why not bring someone like Power over if Verizon is willing to follow him until Siegel is ready for that seat? I would have to think that sponsorship money would offset money lost from the Siegel family. Does McLaren really need a paying driver? Could one of the top teams with their worldwide reputation really not attract the sponsorship dollars to attract a sponsor and driver better than someone who is currently 18 spots behind his closest teammate and only 84 points ahead of last place (of full-time drivers) Jacob Abel?

Brian, Phoenix, AZ

MP: There’s no credible argument to make that compares Jacob or Nolan to one of the series’ all-time worsts. Abel won multiple NXT races last year and has the talent to pl ay in IndyCar. His season got off to a terrible start with a race engineer he didn’t connect with and his confidence was quickly killed. He went through more engineering changes and has only just started to regain the confidence he lost.

He’s actually been much faster of late, which is why he hasn’t been as easy to pass and which is why he’s been able to put up a serious fight. He deserves a second season, with a program built around him like most drivers have, where he knows the crew well in advance of the season opener, and can actually build some belief in himself and those around him. He’s had a terrible rookie season. No question. But putting it all on him is silly.

On Siegel, the question is why doesn’t Arrow McLaren ignore its contract with Siegel and put someone else in the car? Isn’t that what they’re suing Alex Palou for – failing to honor a contract – and wouldn’t that poke major holes in that lawsuit?

And does Arrow McLaren really need money for Siegel’s seat? Again, isn’t this in the “kinda’-obvious” category?

Like Abel, Nolan has talent that’s worthy of being in IndyCar. Jacob will hopefully get a second chance – a do-over rookie season – and Siegel has one more season on his contract to prove he’s worthy of staying in a top team. If he delivers, he’ll stay. If he doesn’t, he’s gone. Fairly democratic.

After a rough start, Abel started to find his groove in the second half of the season. Joe Skibinski/IMS

Q: It is said when an IndyCar trails behind another one, the second car gets “dirty air” on the front wing which decreases downforce. Townsend and Hinch indicated the trailing driver should move to the side to get out of the dirty air. On the other hand, in the same scenario the trailing car is also said to get a tow, which makes it go faster than if it was running by itself as the lead car is punching a hole through the air.

The two things seem contradictory to me. Does the “towing” effect only occur on straightaways at speedways? I usually here it referenced at Indy during race practice sessions. Could you please elaborate? Dirty air but go faster, or clean air but go slower? Confused. Thanks.

Alan, Columbus, OH

MP: Great question. It’s corners vs straights. In a straight line, being tucked in behind a car and using the hole it’s punching in the air to cut more easily through the air – the tow, just like when you’re trailing behind a big truck on the highway – allows you to run with an increased top speed or to maintain speed without using full throttle and maximum fuel burn.

But when you get to the corners, depending on your downforce level, you want to pull out and get clean air over your front wings, in particular, and the car as a whole, if possible, to recover the downforce and aero stability you willfully surrendered on the straight. Run as long as possible in the tow for top speed or fuel-saving gains, then pop out when you need clean air – something that is concentrated and isn’t the “dirty” buffeting air spilling off of the car ahead – to turn or brake or both.

If you watch F1, think of this like activating and deactivating DRS. Use the aero benefit for as long as you can, but once you need the car to do something dynamic entering a braking zone or through a corner, shut it off and make use of the full downforce.

Q: Schumacher, Vettel, Hamilton and Verstappen all had long-term teammates during their title years, and the teammates always also finished in the top four in the championship. There is one exception in Sergio Perez in 2024, finishing eighth with a car that won nine races.

I understand the thinking of wanting veteran drivers for a new team, but I feel like hiring Perez over Kevin Magnussen isn’t helping the perception of Cadillac F1. Is there anything I’m missing here? Also, where do you stand on the “is the second Red Bull seat a good seat” debate?

Will, Indy

CHRIS MEDLAND: For once I’d say you are missing something there, Will – Perez was also the only driver to finish runner-up to a champion at Red Bull, with their only one-two in the drivers’ championship coming in 2023. Yes that was a very dominant season, but it’s often the case that one car is and one car is clearly not performing at the same level at Red Bull.

You only have to look at what Perez did prior to Red Bull to see that he is a very solid pair of hands, and then add in that Red Bull experience – a championship-winning team – and the latter part is something very few others have. I think K-Mag would have done a great job for Cadillac too if he was interested, but Cadillac wants recent experience at the biggest teams based on its own plans.

That all also ties in with your second question, that no, I don’t think the second Red Bull seat is a good seat. I think that team has really lost its way with its car design and development, and Max papers over the cracks for it very often. When you’ve had such a wide sample set of Perez, Lawson and Tsunoda – the latter two having found moments to shine at Racing Bulls – and all have struggled so much, you know it’s not down to the driver.

I’m pretty sure one of Laurent Mekies’ key targets is to provide a better chance of two cars running strongly, and that is likely to mean changes to design – and maybe even engineering – are needed, so it won’t be a quick fix.

Q: I wrote a while back regarding the drivers and crews not paying attention when faster cars approach during qualifying. You responded with an excellent suggestion that F1 move the timing line back, so it is ahead of the pitlane. Unfortunately, the powers that be at F1 have not implemented your suggestion. Nor have they used fines or grid penalties to discourage drivers from not paying attention while they are on a cooldown lap.

At this point my suggestion would be if a driver or team doesn’t pay attention to the cars behind him, (like Russell did last weekend when he almost collected Alonso going into the pits), said driver should have to run the race with mirrors three times larger than the standard mirror. This would be something akin to wearing a scarlet letter, and perhaps stop ruining other drivers’ laps and risking collisions during qualifying. However, this is not the main reason I am writing you.

My comments this week have to do with the poor performance of the race stewards. Not making a decision, (e.g., on whether Hamilton didn’t slow down under yellow prior to the start), until after the race is unacceptable in my view. Why leave race fans wondering on the outcome? Also, the decision to penalize Sainz 10 seconds plus drivers’ points for what looked to be a racing incident is incomprehensible.

Perhaps all the stewards should be sacked and replaced by AI. Given the technology today it would seem possible that such a program could be written to incorporate the current rulebook, factoring in the driver inputs; steering, braking, and throttle controls to make the correct decision in milliseconds. The decisions reached by the AI program would need to be transparent to explain how and why a ruling was reached. Using AI in this manner would go a long way towards improving the decision-making process and remove the human element (and bias) from the equation. Also, fans wouldn’t have to wonder if the race outcome was final pending future decisions.

David

CM: I appreciate the kind words on the timing line, but it’s definitely an idea that others have flagged to me in the past and asked why F1 doesn’t do it, so I can’t take the credit! But similarly, it’s not as if the sport has rejected that. I don’t know if the FIA has ever discussed it in depth, to be honest.

I think it might be a bit early for AI to be making decisions when it comes to penalties, and even if it could make a call, we would still get debates because each scenario is different and external factors can play a part that might not be part of the programming. What seems to be very clear to the letter of the law might actually be less so in reality – the Carlos Sainz incident is a prime example of that.

Based on how the rules are written, the penalty was spot-on. Sainz didn’t have enough of his car alongside Lawson (again, based on what the driving guidelines state) and so was not entitled to room. He’s supposed to know that, and therefore he can’t keep his nose in hoping to be left room and then avoid punishment if there’s a collision.

All of that said, I agree with you that it was a racing incident, or a five-second time penalty at worst. The contact was so light, and that is a corner where the camber allows you a chance of accelerating around the outside at the exit of you can stay alongside enough. Sainz was close to doing that, so it was understandable that he was giving it a go. But as the rules are written – and AI would have to follow that – it’s a penalty.

The Hamilton incident annoyed me at the time, too, but the stewards did explain afterwards that they had requested all of telemetry data from the team, and as it was a busy time pre-race, that took time and delayed the investigation. I still think it should have been clear based on what was already available, and at the very least the stewards should provide an explanation as to why an investigation is being left until after the race.

The one that really frustrates me was that the incident between Russell and Leclerc was delayed until after the race. There’s no consistency over when drivers are allowed to have their say or aren’t, and Sainz for example was very keen to speak to the stewards but had already been penalized at the time, so there was no chance for him to give his side.

The stewards are effectively meant to be experienced referees, and they should be making decisions based on their knowledge and understanding at that very moment. In no other sport do they ask why a foul was committed or for an explanation from a player before deciding if they’re penalizing them, and the same should be true in F1.

Sainz was penalized before he had the chance to make his case before the stewards. Joe Portlock/Getty Images

Q: So many questions about Cadillac after last week’s news, starting with the driver line-up. My inclination would be to sneer at the choice of two retreads as drivers. Clearly, Caddy needed one experienced hand, but wouldn’t they have been better off to give the second seat to a hot prospect? But then that raises another question: Does Cadillac have any access to hot prospects? There is no “Cadillac Academy” and most of the up-and-comers are signed by other teams.

Current F2 leader Leonardo Fornaroli is a unicorn without ties to anyone, and maybe ’23 champ Theo Pourchaire is also still without ties. The likes of Mick Schumacher are not “up and coming.” So, where would Cadillac go for prospects? For next season it will need a reserve driver and/or test driver, but whom? Who shows up for the post-season testing at Abu Dhabi? Will it start an academy? Also, if it wants to test drivers, without a prior car, how does it do prior car testing?

Regarding, Colin Herta, is the impetus for that coming from Cadillac itself or from Dan Towriss and TWG Motorsports? Why is that a better move than seeking a Super License waiver from the FIA? With the IndyCar season over, and nine F1 races left aren’t there FP1 testing opportunities?

A bigger question: Who actually controls Cadillac F1? Does GM have majority ownership? Does Towriss still have a piece of the action? Is TWG running the team under contract to GM or is there some other arrangement?

Al, Boston, MA

CM: A lot of good questions here, Al. No, I don’t think Cadillac would be better off giving the second seat to a hot prospect. That means you have to give a driver time to develop, and put resource and focus into that, when you’re building a new team from scratch.

If that hot prospect doesn’t perform, is it because they’re not that good? Is it because they lack experience? Or is it because of the car and the team? All of those answers disappear with two experienced, well-known quantities. If one doesn’t perform to the level of the other, you know it’s down to the driver. And if both struggle, you know it’s the car. You’ve removed a variable.

Haas is a great case in point. Year one was Romain Grosjean and Esteban Gutierrez, but Gutierrez was less experienced and in year two it signed Kevin Magnussen instead as it wanted two experienced drivers to help push the team forward. It’s not that both always perform brilliantly, but you have a better chance of one working it out if the other isn’t, and that gives you direction.

For race driver prospects, Cadillac spoke to all of the above (perhaps with the exception of Fornaroli) – anyone with experience of an F1 team, even if they haven’t raced. And all of those rookies would have been easily signed. It looked at F2 title contender Jak Crawford, for example, as his current deal with Aston Martin runs until the end of the year.

If a good young driver doesn’t have a race seat already, Cadillac (and any other team) can inquire about their availability if it wishes, and most teams wouldn’t stand in the way of a driver getting a chance to race. It might retain some links, but look at Sauber signing Gabriel Bortoleto, who was in the McLaren program – with no race seat at McLaren, it was never blocking that move.