Hybrid engines shouldn’t be IndyCar’s only effort at series innovation
After years of delays, the IndyCar Series finally introduced its long-awaited hybrid power trains partway through the 2024 season. It was a great start in increasing the relevance of the series via innovation, but it’s just that: A start.
While IndyCar was preparing its hybrid machinery at a glacial pace, the series was being outshone by various forms of motorsport around the globe — and the leaders of the American open-wheel series have seemed largely content to continue its slow progress forward.
IndyCar needs to rediscover innovation
As ample criticism circled the IndyCar paddock this year courtesy of CEO Mark Miles’ comments about the sport not needing international races, fans began to hone in on the simple fact that IndyCar may be its own worst enemy when it comes to growth.
In the aftermath, IndyCar president Jay Frye posted on X to applaud the innovations of the series over the past nine years, including series sponsorship from Verizon and NTT, an increased car count, on-track performance records, 100% renewable race fuel, the introduction of the aeroscreen, and hybrid technology.
Yes, many of these innovations deserve to be applauded. The introduction of renewable race fuel and most sustainable guayule tires on street circuits have established IndyCar as a key player in the motorsport sustainability game.
The aeroscreen was a great advancement in series safety, and for the first time in years, race fields are packed with a healthy number of competitors.
But Frye’s applause for the series has been treated with a “too little, too late” mindset from fans — and the series needs to understand why.
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At the very base of these issues comes the fact that IndyCar has been operating on the the same Dallara DW12 spec chassis that it first introduced for the 2012 season. In that immediate post-reunification and post-financial crisis era, it was critical for the series to introduce an affordable chassis to the teams looking to race in the series.
But now, 12 years on, the DW12 is getting a little long in the tooth. Fans have been quick to point out the fact that the chassis has been used for roughly 10% of the time cars have existed — a frankly mind-boggling fact.
IndyCar intends to introduce a new chassis in 2027, but fans are skeptical. Hybrid engines, after all, were first proposed in 2019 with the intention of being debuted soon after. The pandemic threw a monkey wrench into those best-laid plans, pushing the debut date back further and further. Finally, one of IndyCar’s two engine providers began to lobby hard for the series to debut hybrids in 2024 — or they may consider leaving the sport.
And speaking of hybrids: IndyCar’s introduction of the technology comes a full decade after it was introduced in Formula 1, and a decade after a fully-electric series, Formula E, hit the track.
Despite almost four years of development, the hybrid power unit’s debut was clunky, with multiple failures plaguing drivers and many more complaining about the negative impact the added weight of the system had on maneuverability.
It’s not the only faux pas from the series, either. IndyCar first began toying with the idea of an aeroscreen in 2014 but didn’t implement one until 2020 — and only after the design from Red Bull Advanced Technologies was rejected by Formula 1.
These slow evolutions in technology, though, don’t exactly count as “innovations” — at least not in the sense that they were dreamed up and implemented by IndyCar before anyone else. Rather, it has felt as if IndyCar has let the rest of the racing world spend a few years figuring things out before it finally jumps on the bandwagon.
It isn’t enough.
While it’s not necessary for IndyCar to completely change up its racing package every three years, the series tends to introduce minor changes so slowly as to not be noticed — and the promotion of the sport often fails to contextualize those changes, anyway. It results in a widespread sentiment that the sport is doing very little to improve its product, and that it has very little interest in attracting new viewership.
And if technological innovation is too much, the series could benefit from innovation in marketing and promotion, in its race calendar, in its push to attract new automakers, in its broadcasts, and so much more.
Fans are desperate for change. It’s beyond time IndyCar delivered it.
Read next: Formula 1 v IndyCar: How open-wheel racing’s hybrid powertrains compare