Power: F1 is the pinnacle, IndyCar is best for competition

In a joint media conference ahead of this weekend’s IndyCar season-opener at St. Petersburg, Power and Castroneves were asked why, given the series’ competitiveness, both Pato O’Ward and Colton Herta have shown such strong interest in switching to Formula 1.

Power, the 2014 champion and 40-time race-winner responded: “Obviously Formula 1 is the pinnacle when you look at the level of money and television coverage around the world that it has. So if you're a young driver, it's somewhere you would love to go and have experienced that series.

“But as far as competing, and competition and parity, there's no other open-wheel series in the world like IndyCar. It is more competitive than Formula 1, not because the drivers are better but simply because the cars are all exactly the same. You've got so many drivers and teams that have been around for so long in these same cars that it is really, really tough.

“You don't even have to take my word for that. Just look at the practice sheets and the qualifying times. You can mathematically work that out yourself, that IndyCar is more competitive than Formula 1.

“In Formula 1 you compete possibly just against one person, which is your teammate, but maybe this year [with major technical regulation overhaul] they’ll have more parity.

“I'm not saying that IndyCar drivers are better: that's not true. I'm just saying that the formula is more competitive, and I think the formula is better for fans, honestly. You never know who's going to win.”

Meyer Shank Racing’s Castroneves, a four-time Indy 500 winner, who this year becomes a full-timer in IndyCar again for the first time since 2017, said: “When you're young, obviously you want to try everything, and Formula 1 is middle of the world.

“Obviously, as Will mentioned, about money, and obviously you can explore so much more. However, if you're not in the right team you're not going to be in the right position to even finish in the points maybe.

Helio Castroneves, Meyer Shank Racing Honda

Photo by: IndyCar Series

“At IndyCar it's completely different because the rules are able to allow your talent to show. Obviously you go out there and you might have one fantastic weekend and sometimes not; the competition level in IndyCar, it's so difficult.

“However, because of the different styles of tracks, with ovals, with short ovals, with street courses, you definitely blend so many different talents, and you can still have, as we have today, drivers just not going for one style of racing. You create more competition, create more buzz, and yes, that's why IndyCar has continued going on the right direction.

“Now, with Penske Corp. taking care of the series, hopefully now with the pandemic just passed over, I do believe IndyCar can concentrate on becoming what it used to be 30 or 40 years ago.”

Power, who’s embarking on his 14^th season with Team Penske, later added: “We need to get it out there as much as possible because the product is so good and you race on so many different disciplines. You have road courses, street courses, superspeedways, and bullring short ovals.

“Like Helio said, you never know who's going to win, you never know who's going to be on pole, and you really don't know who's going to win the championship until the last race – and sometimes the last lap.

“It's a great product, and it has been growing over the last decade. It's like significantly grown since I started in IndyCar, and the teams and the drivers are the highest standard that I've ever seen. It's a great series, it really is – and I hope that we continue to push to get it out to the public.”

F2 Champion Oscar Piastri, Prema Racing

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

Power also expressed sympathy for his 20-year-old Australian compatriot Oscar Piastri who won Formula Renault Eurocup, Formula 3 and Formula 2 in consecutive years, 2019-’21, but who hasn’t graduated to Formula 1, instead taking up the role of Alpine F1’s reserve driver.

“Oscar Piastri certainly deserved to be in Formula 1 this year having won back-to-back titles in Formula 3, then F2 first year out as a rookie,” said Power. “Then not to be in Formula 1… to me the system is sort of broken. Why? Why do they spend all this money to run something like F2 and you win the championship the first year – and I'm going to say the budget for that has got to be €2 million or something like this – and not get a Formula 1 seat?

“I think he deserves to be in Formula 1. He should be in Formula 1. I can understand why he wouldn't want to come over to IndyCar, because he's worked his whole career [for F1]. I'd have to say I was kind of disappointed that he didn't get a ride.

“So we'll see what happens. It's a total travesty if he doesn't end up in Formula 1 next year because then he probably won't ever end up in Formula 1, which is just such a shame.”