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Colton Herta, Harding Steinbrenner Racing Honda
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Analysis

The lessons F1 can learn from IndyCar's Austin debut

IndyCar's first visit to Austin provided a rare chance for a direct comparison with Formula 1. The race at the Circuit of the Americas ably demonstrated that performance metrics don't correlate directly with sheer spectacle

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Speed equals spectacle. That was the simple foundation stone upon which Formula 1's 2017 aerodynamic regulation overhaul was built, encapsulated by the single objective of improving laptimes by four to five seconds compared with 2015. This was the panacea that would cure all F1's ills.

It wasn't. Although the changes nailed the target almost perfectly - the average difference between fastest laps on each weekend in 2015 versus '17 almost bang on 4.5s – the rationale was flawed.

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