Despite the Paralympics ending Sunday and the 2024 Olympics commencing about a month before, people are already looking toward the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Last year, the International Olympic Committee and Los Angeles Organizing Committee considered adding motorsport and other sports such as breakdancing, lacrosse and baseball to the 2028 summer. Ultimately, they decided against breakdancing and motorsport.
Motorsport has never officially been included in the Olympics. In 1900, Paris hosted the Olympic Games alongside the Exposition Universelle. During this time, 14 racing events were held but were not recognized as part of the Olympics.
The governing body of world motorsport, Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, was officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee in 2011. The federation was also part of the first Olympic Virtual Series in 2021, which hosted esports events, including simulation racing.
While an Olympic appearance could boost both motorsport and Formula 1’s popularity, multiple logistical issues make it unlikely.
Motorsport covers many different vehicles, circuit types and distances. Deciding what series of motorsport to include would be the first hurdle. F1 is the most-watched type of motorsport, but it is also the most expensive. Smaller countries would likely struggle to raise funding to participate in motorsport, especially with the open-wheel single-seater cars seen in F1.
In F1, there are two championships: the Drivers’ Championship and the Constructors’ Championship. If a series like F1 were to occur in the Olympics, many drivers would be without a constructor, or a company that designs key parts for the sport. There is not a lot of diversity among F1 constructors, with most of them based in the United Kingdom.
This issue may have a potential solution: Give each driver the same car and engine as in Formula 2, and get funding if the highest paying constructor and sponsors are chosen.
There is also a question of how interesting and unique an Olympic competition would be if we end up with the same 20 drivers that race in F1. If only two drivers per country were allowed in the final race, similar to gymnastics, the event might be more widespread.
On the other hand, a motorsport event without the best and most popular drivers could lose viewership.
Some F1 drivers, such as Charles Leclerc, have expressed the desire to represent their country at the Olympics. Others, including Fernando Alonso, do not believe the sport is feasible at an Olympic level.
This begs the question: If F1 is not feasible at the Olympic level, is any form of motorsport feasible?
IndyCar is an open-wheel single-seater series based in North America. Similar to F1, the IndyCar series races on street circuits, but unlike F1, they also race on oval tracks. This would give the Olympic host city more flexibility in finding a preexisting track or building a new one.
IndyCar does not have the global following that F1 does but has recently been experiencing a surge in popularity. In fact, The 2024 Indianapolis 500, which took place on Sunday, May 26, was the most-streamed IndyCar race ever.
Fans and drivers alike have expressed their desire to see IndyCar grow. Arrow McLaren driver Pato O’Ward has been outspoken about wanting to see IndyCar expand its geographical range, particularly to his home country of Mexico.
Both the IndyCar and NASCAR series have been vying for a race in Mexico City, but NASCAR sealed the deal first with the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, the track hosting F1’s Mexico City Grand Prix.
Losing out on an international race like Mexico City might not hurt IndyCar directly, but it will definitely impede their plans for growth. However, an opportunity like the Olympics could give IndyCar the platform they need to reach an international fanbase.
IndyCar presents a few advantages to spearhead another Olympic motorsport push over other series. Some IndyCar drivers, like Romain Grosjean, are former F1 drivers and others, like O’Ward are F1 reserve drivers.
In addition to the similarities between the cars in F1 and IndyCar, these familiar faces could help persuade drivers of the former series to tune into the latter during the Olympics. With open-wheel single-seaters, the possibility of current F1 drivers making an appearance at the Olympics could increase.
However, given its lower operating costs and desire to expand its fanbase, IndyCar might be the best series to lead the push for motorsport in the Olympics.
