FOX counts on Will Buxton's "likability factor" to aid IndyCar's revival

Will Buxton is set to become the new voice of IndyCar starting with the 2025 season. IndyCar's new broadcasting partner, FOX Sports, which is looking at revamping the lost glory of the series in the audience's perception, has hired the renowned F1 presenter as a play-by-play commentator.

Buxton is leaving F1 after a 7-year stint to return to IndyCar. The Briton previously covered the American open-wheel series for NBC Sports from 2013 to 2017 and brings a wealth of experience. He is one of FOX's three new hires, alongside ex-IndyCar drivers James Hinchcliffe and Townsend Bell, to lead the broadcasting team and usher in a new era for the series.

FOX's coordinating producer, Pam Miller, recently spoke about the key reasons behind the decision to sign Buxton and how she envisions the new TV trio to operate.

"Will has a following, but he's also dabbled in IndyCar before. He's been around the paddock. He grew up in Europe with some of the participants in IndyCar. He has an energy and likability factor that can't be denied. I mean just even here this week, he's full of excitement and the chemistry between the three of them (Buxton, Hinchcliffe, and Bell) is great," she said on the Pit Pass Indy podcast. [11:25 onwards]

Miller also spoke about Will Buxton's popularity among the youth, which came as a result of him being one of the lead voices in F1's Netflix docuseries 'Drive to Survive'.

"He has a little racing pedigree, journalism, the Netflix show (Drive to Survive), he crosses a lot of areas and checks a lot of boxes. His energy will be undenied and his passion for any motorsport, you see it the second he smiles. He also brings a lot of youth with him because he has a lot of kids that follow the Netflix show or his Instagram. So I think he can help educate the younger generations."

As per RACER, IndyCar had the oldest TV audience during the 2022 season compared to NASCAR and F1. 24.7% of viewers were between ages 55 and 65 and a whopping 43.6% were 65 or older.

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Will Buxton bid an emotional goodbye to F1 before committing to IndyCar

F1 Grand Prix of Austria - Previews - Source: Getty

Will Buxton was the Formula One Group's first hire for the role of a digital reporter after Liberty Media acquired F1 in 2017. He became the face of the pinnacle of motorsport's digital broadcasts and a crucial part of F1TV's core team.

From his comprehensive grid walks during the pre-race coverage to the post-race interviews with drivers, Buxton became a staple in the minds of F1 fans. On January 14, when FOX announced him as a part of its IndyCar team, congratulatory wishes poured in from all directions.

He got his first taste of the American series' operations during its first media days that week. A few days later, the 43-year-old made an Instagram post with a lengthy and emotional message to share his feelings about the F1 to IndyCar switch.

"I’ll never fall out of love with F1 and hope to stay involved in some way with a championship I’ve dedicated my life to. But the chance to join FOX, and to play such a central role in growing the Indycar audience and returning it to its rightful place in the hearts of American race fans was something I have dreamt of for over a decade," Will Buxton wrote.

FOX giving Will Buxton this opportunity has made his career come full circle. It was the broadcaster that gave him his first opportunity to be an F1 pit-lane reporter in 2010.