Television commentator Will Buxton launched an impassioned defense of Formula 1 after fans from NASCAR and IndyCar mocked the Azerbaijan Grand Prix's closest finish in over two decades on social media. George Russell held on to win by 0.196 seconds from Max Verstappen, but the tight margin failed to impress rival series supporters who pointed out that such finishes occur regularly in their championships.
Buxton, who formerly worked as an F1 commentator and now covers IndyCar, refused to let the criticism pass. He told Speed on Fox that he took severe dislike to sections of media and fanbases from both NASCAR and IndyCar who turned around and laughed at Formula 1's achievement, saying they have closer finishes every weekend.
The commentator argued that comparing the different series was unfair, noting that NASCAR and IndyCar achieve their close margins on super speedways and oval tracks rather than street circuits like Baku. He called the mockery smart-arsery and urged critics to let Formula 1 celebrate its moment, asking why they needed to be negative about a genuinely exciting race finish.
Former NASCAR champion Kevin Harvick, who appeared alongside Buxton, supported the perspective that direct comparisons between championships are impossible due to their different formats and track types. While IndyCar did produce one closer finish than Baku this season at the Indianapolis 500, where Felix Rosenqvist won by 0.0233 seconds, such margins remain rare in Formula 1's current era.