Will Buxton urges IndyCar boss Roger Penske and F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali to 'meaningfully' settle Indy 500-Canadian GP controversy

IndyCar commentator Will Buxton has shared a message on social media addressing the controversy stirred by F1 on Tuesday, when it announced its 2026 calendar. The series pitted the 2026 Canadian GP with the 110th running of the Indy 500 on May 24, in a move that was scorned by fans.

Buxton rose to fame as an F1 presenter before switching to IndyCar in 2025. The Briton hoped that IndyCar owner Roger Penske and F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali could have a sincere meeting to avoid such race conflicts, especially concerning the prestigious Indy 500.

"A lot of understandably strong reactions to the 2026 Canadian GP being scheduled on the same day as the 110th Indy 500. Truly hope Roger and Stefano can have a meaningful chat and organise start times for their races that will allow fans of @indycar and @f1 to enjoy watching both," Buxton wrote in an X post.

Will Buxton

@wbuxtonofficial

LINK

A lot of understandably strong reactions to the 2026 Canadian GP being scheduled on the same day as the 110th Indy 500. Truly hope Roger and Stefano can have a meaningful chat and organise start times for their races that will allow fans of

@indycar and @f1 to enjoy watching both

F1's justification for swapping the Canadian GP with the Monaco GP was its sustainability efforts. The series aimed to conduct back-to-back races on the same continent, i.e., the Miami GP and the Canadian GP, instead of Miami, followed by Monaco, and back to Canada.

The Monaco GP historically took place on the same day as the Indy 500. Because they took place on different continents, the races never overlapped. However, in this new scenario, the Canadian GP, which starts at 2 pm ET, will clash with the second half of IndyCar's biggest race, which begins at 12:45 pm ET.

In a follow-up X post, Buxton also suggested that F1 could 'easily' push the Montreal race to start at 3 pm ET instead of 2. It remains to be seen if the 'Pinnacle of Motorsport' remains adamant about taking on the 'Greatest Spectacle of Racing' next year.

Will Buxton claps back at a fan demeaning IndyCar's worth compared to F1

Will Buxton at the F1 Grand Prix of Qatar - Source: Getty

F1 pitting the 2026 Canadian GP against the Indy 500 might not have been the best option. The world's biggest race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was sold out this year, drawing over 350,000 fans. Broadcast on FOX, the race won by Alex Palou had an average viewership of 7.05 million and peaked at 8.4 million.

This was the Indy 500's best TV performance since the 2008 edition of the race. Will Buxton used this argument to silence a critic on X who claimed that he was "overestimating how much people care about IndyCar."

"Single most attended one day sporting event on earth. 7 million viewers in the US this year (peak of 8). The Indy 500 isn’t just a race in America. It’s a 110 year old institution."

Will Buxton

@wbuxtonofficial

LINK

Single most attended one day sporting event on earth. 7 million viewers in the US this year (peak of 8). The Indy 500 isn’t just a race in America. It’s a 110 year old institution.

On Tuesday, officials of the premier American open-wheel series responded to F1's decision on such a face-off. Instead of commenting about the clash, they took the high road, predicting that the 110th Indy 500 would be an "epic" race.