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Jenson Button Suggests F1 Could Take a Page From Indianapolis’s Doubleheader

Published 08/12/2023, 7:01 PM EDT

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A NASCAR Cup Series showdown is on the horizon, as international racing icons gather at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend. As the playoffs loom ahead with just three races to go, the spotlight is on the 82-lap race around the IMS Road Course. Piling onto the building anticipation is the exceptional grid, which includes F1 World Champion and the celebrated British driver, Jenson Button.

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Scheduled to pilot the #15 Rick Ware Racing Ford for a third and final 2023 Cup race, Button’s debut race was at COTA (Austin) with an 18th-place finish. The next one saw an impressive eighth-place starting position at Chicago, ultimately concluding in the 21st spot. Ahead of the race at Indy, Button laid bare his views for F1 to take note of.

Button has news for F1: “Why not” explore NASCAR-IndyCar doubleheader possibility

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Button highlighted the enhanced value for fans, saying, “Well, the fans will get more bank for their buck, You know, watching two great series, and then you have the obviously the feeder series, the junior series. and obviously Xfinity Series, so it’s a lot of race to go for a race weekend.”

He expressed enthusiasm and suggested that Formula 1 could benefit from adopting a similar doubleheader approach as seen in Indianapolis. “I would love to see other categories doing the same thing, you know, seeing a NASCAR race on an F1 weekend, for example. I think it just brings in a different fan base. and, why not, you know?” 

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He underlined the need for more engaging and active race weekends, remarking, “I think the weekends need to be busier, race weekends need to be busier for the fans. There’s quite a lot of downtime, so, I think it’s really cool, it’s a great idea.”

Jenson Button Confirms Popular NASCAR Rumour Whilst Taking HMS’ Garage 56 Entry for a Spin in England

Backtracking to his inaugural appearance at COTA, the Brit showcased a commendable performance. However, post-race the Brit revealed a pivotal moment in the race that stirred contemplation of abandoning the car.

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Button’s COTA debut rollercoaster

During the conference, Button stated, “It was an emotional rollercoaster… At first, it was terrible… The first stint was really bad. It was embarrassing for me. Finished 18th after almost stopping because I had heat exhaustion.”

Button admitted not having anticipated the sport’s physical demands, leading to initial setbacks. “I was so close to getting out of the car because I thought I was going to faint. I must’ve drank eight-nine bottles of water during the race.”

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Now, as the weekend approaches, all eyes turn to Button’s upcoming third stint, eager to witness how his resilience and adaptability will translate into his performance on the track.

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Written by:

Rashi Shetty

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Rashi Shetty is a NASCAR author at EssentiallySports. Her passion for the sport extends beyond the thrill of on-track racing, as she finds the behind-the-scenes aspects of car development and sportsmanship equally captivating. Her favorite motorsports moment of 2023 is the NASCAR Garage 56 entry at Le Mans.
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Edited by:

Nischal Kandpal

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