"In NASCAR there’s no streaming telemetry": When Jimmie Johnson broke down winning and referenced F1

Veteran driver Jimmie Johnson once explained that winning in NASCAR was much more dependent on the team and the driver's coordination than the car itself, mentioning that the teams had the same equipment to build a fast car like the top teams. To support his answer, he drew a comparison with Formula 1.

Speaking in an interview back in 2016, Johnson claimed that all top teams in the NASCAR Cup Series possess the ability to build very competitive cars and the drivers are just as good. However, according to the veteran, the major difference is the "chemistry" the driver shares with their teams and/or crew chiefs.

"People who aren’t familiar with racing don’t realize that NASCAR is a team sport," Johnson said. "I drive for Hendrick Motorsports, which has four cars on the racetrack. The other major teams have multiple cars as well. There’s the same equipment among the top teams. All the drivers can drive, and all the crews can build great cars."

Adding to his statement, Jimmie Johnson revealed that he has to report his car's condition back to the team, and hence they require effective communication. He mentioned that it is different from F1, where the cars are fitted with many sensors to monitor live telemetry, which did not exist in NASCAR.

"The real magic is in the chemistry and collaboration between the driver, the team, and the crew chief, who is like a head coach in other sports. I have to verbalize the sensations I feel in the car, and the team has to absorb and digest that information and make the right changes. It’s unlike Formula 1 racing, where computers give you real-time feedback on the cars, so it’s easy to see. In NASCAR there’s no streaming telemetry," he added.

Formula 1 cars are fitted with sensors to the brim. With over 300 of them in one car, they are able to provide even the smallest bit of data within the car with an incredible response time of less than a second.

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"They don’t mind putting in extra hours": When Jimmie Johnson spoke about his team fixing cars after a wreck

Jimmie Johnson spent his entire full-time Cup Series career racing for Hendrick Motorsports. He won seven championships, tying him at the top with Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt Sr.

Understandably, there were moments in his career where he wrecked; sometimes because of aggressive driving, and other times just as a passenger getting collected in major crashes. When asked about how the team reacted in the aforementioned interview, Johnson revealed that even though he felt bad if it was his fault, the team remained cheerful.

"If it’s a mistake on my part, I feel bad about it, even though they tell me not to worry. If it’s a wreck that happened because I was driving aggressively to try to win, everybody smiles. They don’t mind that. They want to see their driver do what it takes, and if that causes a wreck, they don’t mind putting in extra hours because of it."

Jimmie Johnson retired from full-time racing at the end of the 2020 season. He then returned with his co-owned Legacy Motor Club in 2023, participating in select races. He finished this year's Daytona 500 in third place.