The 2023 NTT IndyCar Series season gets underway in six weeks with the Firestone Grand Prix of St Petersburg presented by RP Funding which takes place from March 3-5.
Andretti Autosport head into the new season with a new-look driver line-up with the addition of Kyle Kirkwood to the team, having replaced Alexander Rossi, who has joined Arrow McLaren this year. Kirkwood will drive the No.27 NAPA Honda, and with this in mind, Colton Herta, driver of the No.26 Gainbridge Honda has effectively become the defacto team leader.
Herta took a single victory in 2022 when he won the GMR Grand Prix of Indianapolis on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course in May. The Californian ended the season in tenth place in championship on 381 points equal with is now former team-mate Alexander Rossi who ended the year in ninth place in the championship.
Alexander Rossi also took victory at the INdianapolis Motor Speedway the second time the NTT IndyCar Series visited the track in 2022. ANdretti AUtosport who recently announced huge investment in the construction of a brand-new state of the art technology centre in Fishers, IN, will be hoping that they can hit the ground running at the Firestone Grand Prix in March and mount a championship challenge from the start of the season.
While most of the off-season with ANdretti has been focused on Michael Andretti’s aim to enter Formula One with his own team the IndyCar side of things has been ticking over nicely and the team led by Rob Edwards will be able to see how their hard work over the winter in terms of preparing fo the new season has gone with the NTT IndyCar Series full-field open test which takes place at the Thermal Club in California from Fevruary 2-3.
Paddock Eye’s verdict: Expect Andretti Autosport to come out of the gate strong in 2023 with all four of their drivers but in particular, Colton Herta is the one to watch.