NASCAR Fans Issue ‘Doomsday’ Warning as F1 Boss Sparks Racing Controversy

In Formula 1’s peak days, grand prix weekends were grueling marathons adorned with glamor, each race stretched to the two-hour cap, following FIA’s mandates that the 305 km minimum distance and a maximum of three hours, including suspensions, define the contest’s length. Drivers like Alain Prost and Niki Lauda battled sun and spectacle alike, peeling off gloves and cooling off between corners on circuits where safety limits hadn’t yet caught up ambition. Those races weren’t just speed trials; they were psychological and physical crucibles, which brings us to today, where the comparison between F1’s compact battles and NASCAR’s sprawling tests of will is sharper than ever.

By contrast, NASCAR races are modern endurance epics. Most events clock in around three to four hours from green flag to checkered flag. Take the Coca-Cola 600, which in 2016 zipped through its 600-mile span in 3 hours and 44 minutes, an impressive pace for America’s toughest test. Fans often talk about it being a battle of ‘man and machine,’ and in 2024, Giovanni Scelzi, Kyle Larson’s competitor and runner-up at the Knoxville Nationals offered an observation on the latter saying, “Obviously Kyle runs three- to four-hundred-lap races that might not be as physically demanding, but it’s mentally draining for sure to run a stock car that long.” But what happens when you take that endurance model and scrutinize it under F1’s stopwatch? That question lies at the core of a growing debate.

So, are F1 races too long? At approximately one hour and 32 minutes on average this season, the clock certainly says “short and sharp.” But F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali worries it may be alienating younger viewers, prompting talks of MotoGP-style sprints and reverse grids to inject new thrills. As The Athletic‘s Jeff Gluck observed on X, “F1 keeps sending signals they want to change the product to please casual fans who are only there because it’s a fad anyway. NASCAR fans from the mid-2000s know exactly how this ends.” To understand the optimism of a shorter, flashier F1 and the nostalgia for NASCAR’s more measured pacing, we need to look deeper into why race length matters.

F1’s race distance serves more than tradition; it ensures strategy, tire wear, and fuel management remain central to the contest. Shortening races threatens to turn them into sprints, stripping away layers of tactical drama. Meanwhile, NASCAR embraces marathonism: races are long because they’re designed to challenge endurance, operating craft, and resilience under ever-changing conditions. From grueling Memorial Day marathons to “Double Duty” days, where drivers tackle the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 back-to-back, the sport revels in endurance’s glory. All of which begs one simple question: in a world hungry for short bursts of excitement, where does fan appreciation truly lie?

At the end of the day, this is as much about fan experience as it is about racing integrity. But if F1 continues the way it is going, as Gluck said, there’s no one better than NASCAR fans to predict how the fandom will end.

NASCAR supporters fear a repeat of stock cars’ decline

One vocal fan delivered a scathing critique that cuts right to the heart of stadium loyalty: “F1 should just turn races into single qualifying laps if they think this is true; imagine feeling this way about the fans that travel and attend one race a year if they’re lucky.” Countless fans spend thousands on tickets, travel, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences such as Pirelli’s Hop Laps or exclusive teams’ garage tours, only to see races treated like quick-hit spectacles rather than the climactic showdowns they have journeyed so far to witness. It’s a raw call-out that questions whether, in the chase for instant thrills, organizers are overlooking the very people who make these global events possible.

Another fan vented their nostalgia on social media, saying, “F1 fans: bring back the V10 FIA: we’re going to make the races shorter to appease people who watch “drive to survive” When do stage races and playoffs come to F1?” This jab cuts to the heart of ongoing sentiment among the older fans who lament the move from the visceral V10-era spectacle of pre-2006 to the quieter, hybrid soundscape of today, with debates consistently resurfacing with calls to reinstate V10s. Nostalgia for the engine roar is such that an informal 90-10 internal combustion-electric V10 concept has been floated for around 2030, highlighting the friction between cherished traditions and future direction.

One fan didn’t hold back, writing, “Lmao they think one hour and thirty minute races are too long??? Humanity is doomed lol.” Many motorsport fans also insist that F1’s 1h30m events are brisk compared to endurance classics such as Le Mans (24 hours) or NASCAR’s grueling 600-milers. For example, fans often highlight that a broadcasted IMSA WEC race includes mid-race strategies, pit chaos, and mechanical dramas that make it a rich spectacle, far from being too long. This strategy by the F1 authorities may risk a disconnect with those who think shorter isn’t necessarily better.

One concerned fan warned, “Ask nascar how it ends. Nascar lost most sold out tracks hello Bristol, Dover when racing became vanilla and charged long term ticket holders premium while giving big discounts. Kit car racing sucks so you stay home. Uh oh tv viewership is dropping too.” Dover once housed over 135,000 fans in the early 2000s, but has since slashed capacity to approximately 54,000 due to sagging ticket sales. Similarly, the once-bearable sell-out streak at Bristol‘s Food City 500 ended when its 138,000-strong crowd in 2010 marked a sharp drop from previous years.

Another fan added to the bitter sentiment, stating, “They race for less than 2 hours on average. It’s not the length of races, as it is the lack of passing. Hard to keep new and young fans when they see McLaren winning by 30 seconds every week.” In the 2025 Miami Grand Prix, Oscar Piastri dominated the race, crossing the line a staggering 37.644 seconds ahead of the nearest non-McLaren competitor, underscoring how processional some races have become. Further, at Suzuka, the Japanese GP featured 15 overtakes, dramatically down from 48 in 2024, prompting drivers like Nico Hülkenberg to call it “long, dull, not much happening.” These figures reveal a growing concern: even when race durations are compact, the lack of on-track battles can render them stale.

Ultimately, the debate over race formats highlights a deeper crossroads: whether motorsport should prioritize spectacle for newcomers or preserve traditions for loyalists.