IndyCar – Alex Tagliani awaits Ganassi decision

The announcement of Dario Franchitti's retirement surprised the world of motorsport with its suddenness, the four-time champion ofIndyCar having had to hang up his helmet following his accident in Houston. In an emergency, it was Alex Tagliani who replaced the Scot for the season finale at Fontana. Chip Ganassi Racing was able to take advantage of the winter break to take a step back and evaluate the contenders for the position even if the Canadian seems to hold a good place in the list since he participated this week in the team tests at Sebring.

“It doesn't happen often to have the chance to take part in testing in December and it's quite strange to find yourself behind the wheel of a racing car,” recognized the 41-year-old substitute. “Riding with Ganassi is simply a dream come true and helping them with their testing program is an honor. I now know what I have to do and I am very happy that they wanted to continue with me. It would have been crazy to turn down this opportunity, it’s something I’ve worked for my entire career. Teams of this caliber create stability in their organization and places do not become available every year like in other teams. I would really like to see what I'm worth in this type of structure. I'm not really focusing on anything else because that would be disrespectful to this team and the trust they have placed in me. It's nice to know that other teams are interested in me, but for the moment I have to devote myself entirely to this program. »

The team director is obviously more reserved even if he readily admits that the presence of Alex Tagliani was satisfactory. “We were fortunate to have time to react and make a decision not only for 2014 but beyond. We will not make a decision that does not place all of our partners and our common future in a better position than it is now. We were also fortunate to find a quality driver to drive the #10 at Fontana and that Alex was available. He not only played at the forefront but also showed his level of performance with our equipment. It was the same at Sebring where he brought back a lot of information and new perspectives. The fact that he is from Quebec is not a problem since Target (the main sponsor) plans to open stores in this region. »