Formula 1 and IndyCar: The greatest lie ever told about open-wheel racing

All sports fans have heard the phrase “no one remembers who came in second.” With open-wheel racing in particular, this is the greatest lie ever told.

All-time great golfer Walter Hagen once stated that “no one remembers who came in second”, a quote often heard in the sports world. While the concept of the quote is accurate in that the winner of an event is the person or team that walks away with their name in the history books, the idea that “no one remembers who came in second” could not be more inaccurate.

This is especially the case in open-wheel racing, but it’s also the case in other sports as well. Here are a few examples to back this up.

When people talk about Super Bowl LI, they don’t say “the New England Patriots rallied from a 28-3 deficit”. They say “the Atlanta Falcons blew a 28-3 lead”. When people talk about the 2016 NBA Finals, they don’t say “the Cleveland Cavaliers rallied from a 3-1 series deficit”. They say “the Golden State Warriors blew a 3-1 lead”.

When people talk about the 2016 World Series, they don’t say “the Chicago Cubs rallied from a 3-1 series deficit. They say “the Cleveland Indians blew a 3-1 lead”. When people talk about Super Bowl XLII, they don’t talk about the fact that the New York Giants won it with a 13-7 record. They talk about how the Patriots lost it to fall to 18-1.