IndyCar: Grosjean says IndyCars are 30 years behind F1

Romain Grosjean left Formula 1 at the end of 2020, and he now drives IndyCars that he says are 30 years behind F1.

Passenger cars are classified as antiques once they reach the age of 45 and are called classic cars after the age of 20.

In 2021 Grosjean was forced to switch to IndyCar. So far, the former Formula One driver has been on the podium ten times in the American class, but has zero wins.

“It was very refreshing, very different, more human and casual in IndyCar, which was good after doing ten years in Formula 1,” Grosjean to the Track Limits Podcast.

“I loved my time in Formula 1, but ten years in the same job is a long time, so even though it’s a passion, I just felt like something new would be great. And I really enjoyed coming to IndyCar, having a lot of fun, and I’m excited to know that every time we go to a race, I’ve got a chance to win it,” Grosjean says.

All IndyCar cars are almost identical, with their chassis and aerodynamic packages being very similar across all teams.

“The IndyCar is about 30 years behind [Formula 1] technology-wise,” Grosjean says.

“Formula 1 cars are a lot faster than the IndyCars.

“We don’t want to push it. It is not cheap, but they’re not too expensive to run, and the racing action is probably one of the best in the world on track [as they should be because it is a spec series and all the caution flags bunch the field multiple times during the race. If IndyCar drivers did not crash so much, the races would not be close at all].

“You keep your hands on the steering wheel more, and you’re focusing more on your driving rather than changing switches, and the cars are phenomenal.”