The 2024 Formula 1 season got underway in Bahrain on Saturday with Max Verstappen cruising to yet another victory and making the entire 24 race calendar look like a mere formality. Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez finished in second, over 20 seconds behind Verstappen, and F1 fans across the world were falling asleep at the complete lack of drama and excitement.
Verstappen won 19 of 22 races last season with Perez winning 2 races and Carlos Sainz the only driver not in a Red Bull to claim a victory. Unfortunately for fans of the sport, last season might look like the famous 2021 duel between Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton that spiked F1 popularity in the United States and around the globe compared to the parade that this season looks to be.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, NASCAR (which IS still by far the most popular racing series in the US) is coming off one of their most exciting races of all-time with one of the closest finishes ever in Atlanta in a thrilling 3-wide photo finish with Daniel Suarez claiming a much needed victory.
While in the broadcast booth for the NASCAR Xfinity Series race in Las Vegas on Saturday night, Cup stars Austin Cindric and Joey Logano served as analysts. When Cindric made a joke about Riley Herbst trying to stay within F1 DRS range, less than a second of the leader John Hunter Nemecheck, both drivers had a laugh about how boring the rival series has been.
Joey Logano is right. NASCAR is better than F1 pic.twitter.com/tKJJq5cDCe
— Skewcar (@Skewcar) March 3, 2024
“As long as he stays relevant, stays within that one second, Formula 1 DRS range,” Cindric said.
Logano laughed and quipped, “What?! We’re not doing that! This is so much better than that!”
Cindric responded, “100% agree.”
Verstappen’s dominance is a serious threat to the newfound F1 fandom stateside. With NASCAR riding high and being able to sell some drama to fans, the stars of the sport are clearly leaning into the messaging that NASCAR is the place to find exciting racing to win fans back after years of ratings declines from its early 2000s peak. Given the way each series is trending, perhaps they should lean into it a little bit more.
[Skewcar]
