Sebastian Vettel warned against racing in IndyCar

Former Renault test driver Christian Lundgaard thinks Sebastian Vettel would struggle in IndyCar, saying that Formula 1 cars are the easiest he’s ever driven.



Vettel is leaving the F1 grid at the end of the 2022 campaign and has yet to confirm what he’ll do after that.



He has been invited to make the transition to a number of other categories including DTM, Formula E and IndyCar, being offered a test drive by RLL, a team in the latter.



Lundgaard has just signed a multi-year contract with them having driven 11 races for them in IndyCar, and he thinks the cars are much harder to drive than the machinery in F1.







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For that reason, he thinks it would be a difficult transition for Vettel.



“I’ve driven Formula 1 cars. I’ve tested quite a few days with Renault. So for me, I’m going to say it as it is: For me, that was personally the easiest car I’ve ever driven. It’s easy to drive to a certain extent,” he said as per Motorsport.com.



“And the reason why we see Formula 1 being, I would say, split up in the front of the field and then the midfield is extremely close, is that the car is very easy to drive to a certain limit. 



“Then finding that half a second to a second is what’s tough. Because the car’s got so much downforce that it’s going to stick, right?



“So I think for Sebastian to come over here and try a car that you need to hustle, you need to work the car, and… the car isn’t driving you, you are driving the car – I think that’s going to be a tough transition.”



While he never had an F1 seat, he spent a lot of time in the paddock as a member of the Renault academy and raced in the feeder categories, Formula 2 and Formula 3.



Comparing driving in Europe and driving in America, who says that he much prefers the latter for a number of reasons.



In his eyes, there’s more focus on the racing itself and a far more friendly atmosphere between competitors away from the track.



“I don’t think there’s been much I haven’t really liked about IndyCar so far,” he added. 



“There’s always going to be decisions you hoped would have [been] different from several people, if it’s the stewards or the race director, et cetera, changes to the tracks and stuff like this.



“But I think overall, like I’ve said many times now when I moved over here and I’ve had the question, ‘What’s the difference about Europe and America?’, for me it’s about racing. It’s more about racing than it is about politics, et cetera. 



“What I like about IndyCar is the feeling I have here is the feeling I got when I fell in love with go-karts. You put the car on the ground, you race, and you have fun. But you compete, and once the helmet’s off, everyone is best buddies: you don’t see that in Europe.




Pierre Gasly reveals Sebastian #Vettel gave him advice on how to deal with Helmut Marko https://t.co/StDB3HAENt — Formula1News.co.uk (@Formula1newsUK) August 12, 2022




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“The life is good for me in America, I prefer it here. Obviously, I miss family and friends et cetera, but I’m sure a time will come for them to visit me.



“Just everything about the sport over here is preferred for me.”



Lundgaard recently secured the first podium of his IndyCar career, finishing in P2 in the Gallagher Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.



With three rounds of the season left, he sits in P15 in the standings with 272 points to his name.
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