Will Buxton won't hesitate to call out IndyCar drivers pulling "stupid" moves during a race

Will Buxton has made it crystal clear that he won't think twice before calling out IndyCar drivers if they make "dumb" overtaking or defending moves during a race this season. The former F1TV presenter was signed by FOX in mid-January this year as IndyCar's new play-by-play commentator.

Buxton had been with F1 since 2018, joining the pinnacle of motorsport as its first digital reporter. He was a staple in the pre-race and post-race segments for F1TV, and rose to fame as an analyst in Netflix's F1 series 'Drive to Survive'. The 44-year-old made the jump back to IndyCar this year, having last covered it in 2017 with NBC Sports.

In a recent interview on the Divebomb podcast, Will Buxton explained how though the 2025 season will be his first time commentating on IndyCar races, he won't hold back his natural responses to driver moves on track. While discussing the unplanned side of a commentary job, he said [10:00 onwards]:

"This is the great thing with commentary, you can't prepare. You can't plan, you can't prepare if somebody goes and puts a stupid move on somebody and does something dumb. Am I going to be able to sit on my hands and not call it out as being something dumb? No, because that's not me."

Buxton further spoke about the topic, adding:

"I think the way I'll commentate will always be... will always have elements of the way I've commentated. I'm a lot older now. I'd like to think (I'm) a bit wiser. But my emotions will still be there, and I will still be ruled by those emotions. You gotta keep it on the level and you gotta keep it neutral, but if somebody does something dumb, I'll still call that out. I'm not gonna change."

Will Buxton's move to IndyCar stemmed from two main reasons. Firstly, his F1 contract hadn't been renewed when the IndyCar opportunity came by, and secondly, the series' new broadcasting partner, FOX, was the media company that gave Buxton his big break as an F1 pit lane reporter in 2010.

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Will Buxton's heartfelt parting message for F1 after IndyCar switch

F1 Grand Prix of Japan - Final Practice - Source: Getty

Will Buxton's connection with F1 goes back to his childhood when he tuned in to watch legends like Ayrton Senna battle it out on the track for ultimate glory. Senna's untimely death while racing in Imola also proved to be a turning point in the then-13-year-old Buxton's life.

He has previously explained how he found solace in the articles that journalists dedicated to Senna after his passing. It was at that moment that the Briton decided to pursue the journalism path and connect with F1 fans through his words as the journalists of his time did with him.

A few days after announcing his IndyCar move in January, Will Buxton penned a heartwarming goodbye message to F1 on Instagram. An excerpt from his post's caption read:

"I’ve dedicated 23 years, my entire professional life, to Formula 1. Reporting on it was all I ever wanted to do from the age of 13. Getting to play a role in telling its story has been the greatest honour. I have always and will always love the sport and while my focus in 2025 and beyond will be Indycar, 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."

Will Buxton will be joined by former IndyCar drivers James Hinchcliffe and Townsend Bell in the FOX booth when the 2025 season kicks off at St. Petersburg on March 2.