Beyond the Flag
Fansided

Formula 1 vs. IndyCar at Circuit of the Americas: How do lap times compare?

By Asher Fair

AUSTIN, TX - OCTOBER 21: Marcus Ericsson of Sweden driving the (9) Sauber F1 Team Sauber C36 Ferrari on track during qualifying for the United States Formula One Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas on October 21, 2017 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, TX - OCTOBER 21: Marcus Ericsson of Sweden driving the (9) Sauber F1 Team Sauber C36 Ferrari on track during qualifying for the United States Formula One Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas on October 21, 2017 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Following the first day of IndyCar Spring Training at Circuit of the Americas, how do the lap times of IndyCar drivers compare to the lap times of Formula 1 drivers at the track?

The first two of the four IndyCar Spring Training test sessions at Circuit of the Americas took place on Tuesday, February 12, and the other two are scheduled to take place later today.

Circuit of the Americas is scheduled to host the second race on the 17-race 2019 IndyCar schedule, the IndyCar Classic, on Sunday, March 24, and it is also scheduled to host the 19th race on the 21-race Formula 1 schedule, the United States Grand Prix, on Sunday, November 3.

This year’s IndyCar race at the relatively new track, which opened in 2012, is set to be the first, but this year’s Formula 1 race at the track is set to be the eighth.

More from Formula One

With laps having now been turned at the 20-turn, 3.427-mile (5.515-kilometer) Circuit of the Americas road course in Austin, Texas by IndyCar drivers, we can officially compare the lap times of IndyCar drivers to the lap times of Formula 1 drivers there.

Harding Steinbrenner Racing rookie Colton Herta recorded the fastest lap time of the first two test sessions by recording the fastest lap time in both the first and second sessions. In the second session, he recorded his fastest lap of the day, as he got around the track in 106.6258 seconds (115.706 miles per hour).

Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport’s Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, took the pole position for the 2018 United States Grand Prix, and he did so by setting a new lap record at the track. He got around the circuit in 92.2373 seconds (133.755 miles per hour).

Of course, IndyCar drivers have not yet truly aimed to record the fastest lap times around the track since their initial lap times are from preseason test sessions as opposed to the qualifying session for the actual race there, but the top initial lap time at the track should give us a decent indicator of the difference between lap times of IndyCar drivers and lap times of Formula 1 drivers there.

Following the first day of IndyCar testing at the track, the fastest lap recorded by a Formula 1 driver there is 14.3885 seconds (18.049 miles per hour) faster than that of the fastest lap by an IndyCar driver there.

More than likely, these totals will decrease during the IndyCar race weekend at the track in March, but they very well may increase again during the Formula 1 race weekend there in November. This is certainly something to keep an eye on.

Next. Top 10 Formula 1 drivers of all-time. dark

dark. Next. Top 10 IndyCar drivers of all-time

The remaining two IndyCar Spring Training test sessions at Circuit of the Americas are scheduled to take place later today. These two test sessions are scheduled to take place from 11:00 a.m. ET to 1:00 p.m. ET and  from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET, and they are set to be broadcast live on IndyCar’s Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages. Be sure to tune in to both of them.

Home/Formula One