By Tristan Schilling and Shelby Harris
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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The Andretti Autosport team is the largest team this year at the 101st running of the Indy 500. “I think we’re a big team that works well as is so adding the others in has been somewhat seamless in that we’re all pulling in the same direction,” team member Ryan Hunter-Reay said.
The team has been pulling from each other and learning Hunter-Reay said that is a good thing.
“We have six cars now that’s a lot of data sets to pull from, a lot of opinions and perspectives to put into play but I think we all work very well as a team so we’ll be trying to use that as a strength.”
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The team boasts the
defending 500 champion in
Alexander Rossi and 2014
champ Hunter-Reay. They’ve
also added Formula One
driver Fernando Alonso but
despite all that driving
experience Marco Andretti
says there is still a lot for them
all to learn as they head toward race day, and he is feeling more confident every day. “I’m as pleased as I’ve been with a car right now in race trips, no complaints there. Now it’s just about just keeping it there, which is very tricky at this place. Every day seems to throw you a curve ball and the better you react the better you’ll be in the end.”
The team is working to help Formula One driver Alonso transition Indycar racing. “I’m feeling better and better both physically and also with the car,” Alonso said. “The cars definitely they are different to drive, mostly if you develop your whole career in the Formula One in Europe you come here in the oval racing and the car felt not natural to drive because the car turns left by itself, that is a little bit strange when you approach turn one in the first lap but I had a week preparation in the simulator and a lot of information from the team the last couple of weeks so I think I arrived a little bit prepared for the feeling I’m supposed to have, so that is good.”
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They may be teammates but once the green flag drops on race day they all want one thing, to win.
“This is one of the greatest if not the greatest races in the world and when you win it, it feels that way and it changes your life and then the years when you come very close to it, it hurts even more,” Hunter-Reay said. “Everything has to come together on race day.”
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(L-R) Andretti team members Fernando Alonso, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Alexander Rossi, Marco Andretti, Takuma Sato, Jack Harvey
Andretti team member and defending Indianapolis 500 Champion Alexander Rossi talks about what it would mean to win again.
Andretti team member and 2014 Indianapolis 500 Champion Ryan Hunter-Reay talks about winning again.
Andretti team member and Formula One driver Fernando Alonso says the transition to IndyCar has been a smooth one.