IndyCar – Ryan Hunter-Reay becomes the hunted

Ryan Hunter-Reay was Will Power's new tormentor after the Penske driver was defeated in previous seasons by Dario Franchitti. By winning the title by just three points ahead of the Australian, the American proved that he had adapted best to the new DW12. The Andretti Autosport resident is preparing to start from the beginning by approaching the inaugural round contested this weekend in St Petersburg. “No one can take the title away from me and my team, it’s something we have achieved. We are now starting a new Championship. We are the defending champions but that will do us absolutely nothing when the lights turn green in St Petersburg. We will have to live with the number 1 on the side of the car and that will be where the pressure will come from. »

The reigning champion hopes to still be able to play at the forefront this year even if he still expects a season contested from start to finish against tough competition. The Andretti driver had already started his season well last year by securing a third place in St Petersburg. “I know we will be competitive enough to go for wins if we have a car efficient on road circuits. We know what areas need to be improved to be much more effective. If we manage to improve in these areas, we will be able to have a very good season. In any case, I know that this year will be very interesting until the last race, which has already been the case for the last six seasons. We didn't really have any weaknesses last year but I think we still need to improve a little on the superspeedways. Generally speaking, we will have to perform better because the season will be very tough. »