Forza Motorsport 7: Titans of open-wheeled sport

Every motoring enthusiast in the world strongly believe that the best motorsport series in the world is always Formula 1 because to their mind, those who are racing in this prestigious racing series are the ones to be feared by the others because they are the masters of the track as they said and behind the ever-evolving machines, they had a story to tell...



However, the Formula 1 isn't the only open-wheeled racing series that gathers a lot of attention because there are other racing series that trying to copy the F1's recipe to success but they couldn't.



There was the INDYCAR which is strongly labelled as a mixture of F1 and NASCAR because it's purely an American motorsport but unlike NASCAR, the INDYCAR drivers are world-class and they come from all kinds of motorsports, including F1, and they come with two kinds of machines; one for oval racing and other for track racing.



And then, there's the FIA Formula E Championship, which is pretty much like Formula 1 but only electric. While the series is still young, it showcases the future of motorsport through this zero-emission racing series and while some say it was boring than Formula 1, there are some interesting moments in store for it as well as the world-class drivers who got involved in all kinds of races.







These three open-wheeler races, when you pit themselves together, it makes up the ideal recipe for the clash of the motorsport titans where fame and power is more rewarding than the speed these machines deliver.

The F1 car this game offered is the R.S. 17, which is powered by a revamped 90-degree RE17 hybrid V6 engine producing over 900bhp of power while its turbocharger uses pre-chamber ignition, whereby a small amount of fuel is ignited before the main engine chamber in order to acheive more uniform combustion. It is mated to an 8-speed semi-automatic titanium gearbox and larger brakes courtesy by Brembo. Weighing at just 722kgs, it has the power-to-weight ratio of 1300bhp per ton.

The INDYCAR I'm driving here is the #2 Chevy-powered one driven by Josef Newgarden, who enjoyed his debut season for the Team Penske Verizon IndyCar Series program as he scored four wins and named the 15th INDYCAR champion at the end of the 2017 season.

And finally, the Formula E car I'm driving belongs to the TECHEETAH Formula E Team, a Chinese-based racing team under the ownership of SECA - China Media Capital.

For the inexperienced few, driving a Formula 1 car is one of the most unforgiving experiences ever made and only those who had prior experience in the field of motorsports can wield the power of it. This is the equivalent of earning a Masters degree at a fancy university and if you can manage to become one with the F1 car, you are a force to be reckoned with. It tends to understeer at slow speeds, it's tricky to change gears at high speeds, and it can be downright complicated when the brakes are locked but with enough practice, you'll be leaving a major impression to it.

The INDYCAR, meanwhile, is like driving two motorsport series in one and like I said once, their machines are divided into two; one for oval racing and the other for track racing. The INDYCARS offered in FM7 are tuned for oval action, meaning they are really fast on the straights but cornering them can be downright challenging or can you? Yes, it is possible to corner it but unlike a Formula One car, handling an INDYCAR is like getting through a corner with a normal exotic.

The Formula E car is the slowest of the three but thanks to their electric powertrain, their peak torque results to a no-wheelspin start every time when you launch it from the starting line and while the dynamics are downright mild for a racing car, it's less punishing to drive, although a little less exciting than the other two.

Having my dibs on these three, it's time to settle which of the three open-wheeled motorsport series is the best and since I'm at the Top Gear Track, this will be the biggest shootout ever experienced in my whole life. However, before my excitement builds, it started to rain.







Bummer, it's raining at the Top Gear Track but despite the rainy weather, this will serve as the ultimate test of finding out which of these three is the best. Let's roll the tape.



And now, the results...

#33 Z.E. 16 - 1:24.772
#2 IndyCar - 1:11.838
R.S.17 - 1:05.696

Guess the motoring world is right. Formula 1 is always be the king of motorsports. Nothing else comes close.



I had to admit that while the series keeps on evolving and now we're making do to the point where today's cars are becoming a pain in the butt to drive for drivers because of such obstruction to their views, the spirit of the world's most prestigious motorsport series still remains and even though we're living in a point where petrol runs dry and paving way for renewable sources, we will never forget the good times and the bad times Formula 1 possesses and we are glad that we are always become part with it, no matter what happens.

The drivers, the tracks, the rivalry, the crashes, no other motorsport comes close than this and that is why Formula 1 will always be at the top of the motorsport hierarchy. That is the bottom line.