Castroneves: Victory at the right time

Sunday, by victoriously crossing the finish line in Florida, Helio Castroneves resumed his good habits, celebrating his victory by climbing the fence. Spiderman has woven his web well in the 2012 season of?IndyCar. The Brazilian sought this triumph by dispossessing Scott Dixon of 2nd place on the 72nd of 100 laps, then recovering the leadership during the refueling of JR Hildebrand. Since his first appearance in IRL in 2001, Castroneves had always won at least once during the season. With the exception of 2011, the year after which he finished? 11th. An affront that one of the most popular pilots on the set (perhaps also thanks to his victory in the popular show Dancing with the Stars, in 2007) was keen to erase, notably thanks to the new features

« With a new car and a new engine, it's a fresh start, he testifies. And this victory is all we needed to start the year. We never stopped believing in it. It was important for our group to know that we could do this. That everyone continues to believe in me proves the quality of these people. Unfortunately, last year, for various reasons, I didn't feel well. Is it my fault, bad luck, or the new rules, such as double-file restarts? It?s always important to start a championship like this. The work produced during the offseason is paying off, and I have no doubt that Will and Ryan will soon join me in Victory Circle. But I will continue to attack. This is what we ride for. » From this weekend, therefore, in Barber (Albama), scene of the second round of the season.

Discover the report of the Saint-Petersburg event, produced by our special correspondent, in the issue of AUTOhebdo available since yesterday in digital version and since this morning on newsstands.