Which cars are faster - Indy Cars or Formula 1? And which has the faster average speed in race conditions?

raffucci

Indy Cars reach higher speeds on ovals than they do on road courses naturally. Formula One cars only race road courses and then, not on any courses that American open-wheelers race on (except for 1/2 of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway going the opposite direction.) Consequently its hard to compare. Both reach speeds in excess of 200 mph and Formula One has the most horsepower coupled with the lightest cars. You would think that would tell the story, however, F1 also have more downforce to help them handle their slow corners. This results in slowing down the car's top speed. Indy Cars will qualify for this year's Indy 500 with average speeds over 220 mph. Arie Luyendyk qualified in 1996 with an average speed of 236 mph. Peter Gethin qualified with the fastest time in F1 history at the Italian GP in 1971 with an average speed of 150.754. F1 cars, at the end of a straight, reach a maximum speed of around 212.5 mph (340 kph). http://indymotorspeedway.com/vsseries.htm Oct 17 11, 9:51 AM