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So, in the light of F1 pussyfication with the tracks, cars, drivers and racing, what are the alternatives? Is there an open-wheel series with great challenging and punishing tracks, great cars and drivers around, that might serve as a replacement for a disgruntled F1 fan? Preferably on a European timetable, but I'm open to that.

Indycar. Got it's fair share of problems too but quality of racing isn't one of them

ask Gaara, he'll watch anything that's on so he'll know.

IndyCar is always welcome to new fans.

IndyCar.

I think the thread can be closed. The answer is IndyCar.

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"Indy doesn't give you a second chance. You have to earn it."

Is it the answer? A one-make formula with equally questionable politics (compared to F1), only two engine choices and multiple crappy pay drivers up and down the field. The racing is sometimes good but the stewarding and sporting decisions are mind-boggling dumb.

Yeah, Indycar is not the answer.

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BTCC Pick Em's Champion 2010
Formula Fun Cup Champion 2013
http://www.the-fastlane.co.uk

I beg to differ. I'd say it's almost always good. Nearly every single race last year was entertaining.

In fairness, GP2 is basically IndyCar without the 500 and without the politics. There is probably a better standard of quality in the field, too...

Even though my post looks otherwise, I actually love Indycar. I love F1 too. But I cannot draw parallels between the two series or suggest one is a good alternate to the other.

2012-2014 the racing was almost always fantastic in Indycar. In 2015 not so much. The aero kits destroyed the consistently close competition and racing. While there were still good races in 2015, there were far fewer than previous years using the DW12.

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BTCC Pick Em's Champion 2010
Formula Fun Cup Champion 2013
http://www.the-fastlane.co.uk

IndyCar is not an alternative until they get rid of those hideous cars

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Motorsports trend for 2024: everything is a bad taste joke now

Indycar - but just need to stop being so liberal with the Full Course Yellows, poor Carlos Munoz last year, bagged his first victory, but only because he got lucky with a yellow, and he knew it! And too many races are decided like that IMHO.

If we were talking CART in the mid 90s then yes, I'd say "an American open wheel series". But IndyCar is a shadow of its former glory.

One chassis, 2 engines, multiple crap pay drivers, shitty politics, a car that fell out of the ugly design office, a season that ends in August - it's not as good as it should be. The racing is, however, pretty decent on a much more regular basis than it is in F1.

My main wonder is why these series don't pay attention to those who watch them. Sure, some fans have utterly stupid ideas and opinions on what the sports should do, but if you listen to the majority then you'll get some great ideas.

F1 really does seem hell bent on ruining what it has cultivated over the last 60 odd years. The politics, rules and regulations are stifling the sport and killing the enthusiasm that the fans have (had?) and it's suffering as a result.

Who the fuck wants two short races? Or a Saturday and Sunday only event? Or double points races at a circuit with all the atmosphere of the Kuiper Belt?

We're an easy bunch of people to entertain: we want close and exciting racing, proper season reviews, cheaper race tickets and less political bullshit. I just don't understand why they persist on going down the route they are. No Monza? Criminal.

I don't recall any point in my life where F1 has been in such a terrible position with its fans. Ludicrous.

I'm on the same page as you. And todays request by the drivers for "closed cockpits" was the final nail in the coffin for me. I'm just so fed up with it getting worse and worse and worse when it would be so easy to improve it.

Well, I watched 1 1/2 Indycar races today and they feel a bit like Formula One around 2000, especially as far as the tracks are concerned. Mid-Ohio even has wooden pillars to hold the guard rails, I love this kind of stuff. The cars move around a lot and they seem more difficult to drive, at least more physical, so that's more exciting than F1's "target laptime 1:17.6, please". They are more random because of the many full course yellows that mix up the field, so it's hard to take the racing itself seriously if so much luck is involved, but it also makes it interesting because of the resulting battles. So far, I like Indycars. Its so much more hands-on and humane than F1 (apart from the feeling that you're in a 2 hour long commercial with all the company names thrown in by the commentators).

At least in Indycar you don't know who is going to win after the first lap or sometimes even after qualifying. In Indycar a man can have a spin, broken wings, be last for a while, and still can climb up to the podium.

Just start watching Endurance races, the shorter 6 hour races were amazing last season and I'm not even a real endurance fan.

Yup. Silverstone and Spa were amazing. My biggest hope is that LMP1 can finally attract more quality privateer efforts. The field is way too tiny now.

If you're into oval racing, watch the Indy 500 and Fontana from this year. If you're not into oval racing, watch the Indy 500 and Fontana from this year and get into oval racing

I'm a massive fan of endurance racing, but the FIA seem to be trying to kill that off too with some of their P2 and P3 rules. The season is too short though