Following their struggles in 2021, 2022 was a year of incredible speed for Team Penske, and one that arguably should have been much more dominant for them, between Power and Newgarden, but poor luck throughout the year meant it was a rather more tense end to the year than they hoped.
You wouldn’t think that a driver of Power’s calibre would need to be reborn this late into his career, but despite racking up wins each year, he has been unable to fight for titles recently. So, going into this season, he decided to be more relaxed, not always go for wins, instead just taking what came to him, and it worked! The amount of podiums he racked up during the season saw him be in title contention throughout the year, along with a few race wins. Undoubtedly, his greater composure allowed him to reach a new level. Even when luck went badly against him, he was if anything able to reach a higher level, and maximise his bad days, which is crucial to win a title. He is a thoroughly deserving champion, and the poles record is a testament to his raw speed.
For Newgarden his year slightly opposed the consistent speed of Power, as Josef had plenty of off weekends, to go along with his incredible number of wins. Some of those were down to luck, such as Iowa Race 2 and some others, but also strategy calls went wrong and pace was lacking at some tracks. It was on off year for him in that respect, and his determination after Laguna Seca showed he wanted to make amends. Also, for second in the title to be an off year for Newgarden, should serve as a warning to the field!
Qualifying, as we have seen many times in the past, was the nemesis of Dixon this year. He often had to claw his way through on a Sunday to limit damage, although he did also lack pace on occasions too. Despite the wins he got mid season, which seemed to turn his season around, we never quite saw the usual late season charge from him. The Indy 500 might be the most costly part of it all though, as even a podium, which he would likely have got without the penalty, may well have seen him win the title!
Following a disappointing rookie season, at least by most peoples high standards, McLaughlin bounced back tremendously with plenty of wins and podiums. His pace at the start and end of the year was superb, but it was the mid season that cost him a championship shot, including the crash at the 500. Palou was another just outside the title fight, with him just lacking that last percentage to be on pace with the front runners, until the final race of the year! It is likely that the off track court drama affected him!
Ericsson was amazingly consistent for 75% of the year, but it fell away in the last few races for whatever reason. He will be another to watch out for next year, and we cannot forget his Indy 500 win, as he dominated the last stint of the race despite all the pressure. McLaren was in the fight just like last year, but reliability caught up with them at points during the year. If they can fix that, and have 3 cars in the fight next year, they could be threatening.
Frankly, it was another meh year for Andretti Autosport, with their usual odd glimpses of spectacular pace, followed by plenty of mediocre races. With other teams getting stronger in the series, they need to get their act together before they continue their downturn. It was nice to see Rossi win again to end off his career with the team, whilst Herta is trying to jump ship to F1 too, as he still tries in vain to fight for an IndyCar title.
Given that Rahal Letterman Lanigan was nowhere for a large portion of the year, Rahal did well to just miss out on the top 10 on points. The last portion of the season gave hope of a reinvigorated team, but the days of 2015 and fighting for the title still feel a long way away. Veekay’s forwards momentum from year to year was somewhat halted by the limitations of Ed Carpenter Racing, who some weekends didn’t bring good cars at all. The Indy 500 was a huge missed opportunity for him, as his car was very fast, but overexuberance early on cost him.
Big things were expected for Grosjean on arrival at Andretti Autosport, given his speed at Dale Coyne, although as previously stated, Andretti don’t have the capability to do big things currently. So instead, between odd glimpses of potential, he was the focus of a lot of drama, not surprising given his past exploits in F1, but something he needs to sort out soon. Lundgaard was one of the stars of the season, often outperforming his experienced teammates, and coming close to wins on a few occasions, most notably at the Indy road course. His second season could be something to look out for, especially as he seems mature beyond his years.
Pagenaud was able to settle in very well with Meyer Shank Racing, but it is clear they are still in their infancy as a team, and may even have been too fast to expand, as the pace wasn’t there all year for them. They might be another brought down by Andretti Autosport, given their allegiance. Malukas can arguably be put on an equal pedestal with Lundgaard, as they both fought each other hard this season for the rookie of the year honours. It will be exciting to see what he can do next year, with a whole years experience under his belt. Performances like Gateway do suggest he is a real talent, with potential to go far in the sport.
For Daly it was another year of the odd glimpse of pace, as usual one of those being at the 500, but if he wants to protect his seat long term, he needs to be moving forward in the pack. Castroneves on his return to full time racing did struggle, which is unfortunate given the success he has had, but maybe he is just past his prime sadly. Next year will be a real test to see if he is still able to fight as he wants to in the sport.
Sato is clearly in the twilight of his career, and struggled to match his rookie teammate all year, so it may not be long before he says goodbye to the sport for good. Ilott on the other hand, seems to be becoming a future star in the making, as he has done quite a lot with the very little team at Juncos Hollinger Racing. Their lack of equipment and knowledge of most of the tracks, make his consistent results all the more impressive, and hints at the huge potential next year holds.
Jimmie Johnson, apart from the odd impressive performance, mostly on the ovals, had another humbling season. Personally, I think switching to an oval only programme would be beneficial for both sides. Iowa suggested there is clearly some potential in him for the future. Harvey and Defrancesco had rather underwhelming years, Devlin can be somewhat excused as a rookie, but Jack was nowhere, and will be lucky to stay in the sport beyond next year. AJ Foyt Racing were just as bad, Kirkwood was clearly trying his best to rescue their season, and on occasion he tried too hard, but he did show pace at points, highlighting how good he is. Kellett was nowhere almost all year.
As always in IndyCar, it was a year of incredible competition, of varying strategies, beautiful battles, and plenty of chaos. The series seemed to grow as well, with help from NBC, better social media, although that can still be improved, and more active sponsorship. The amount of teams in the fight seemed to increase slightly, and there was never a runaway points leader, which kept the tension high throughout. That being said, Team Penske’s bounce back from last year was incredible. I cannot wait for it all to be reset, and start again from zero in St. Petersburg again next year!
-M
Meaning of Motorsport 