Dixon wants help from his mate
Scott Dixon is hoping for more help in his quest to claim a sixth IndyCar title.
The New Zealander opens the defence of his title this weekend in St Petersburg, Florida, and has talented Swedish rookie Felix Rosenqvist as his partner at Chip Ganassi Racing.
Rosenqvist replaces Britain’s Ed Jones who had a disappointing 2018, earning just two podiums and providing little backup for Dixon against the powerful multi-car teams from Andretti Autosport and Team Penske.
‘‘No matter the end result we had, there were some pretty big holes in our programme last year that we’re trying to fix on our side. So, there is room for a lot of opportunity and improvement. We didn’t really have any help from the team-mate, though, so if we’re stronger as a two-car unit, it can only make our lives better,’’ Dixon politely offered as he did the media rounds in Florida this week.
Dixon believes in a team programme, something he made clear as he helped hand out the 2018 IndyCar champion rings to various members of his crew. He sees huge potential in the latest recruit Rosenqvist, who arrives with good form from the Formula E circuit.
‘‘I think back to how lucky I was when I worked with Dario Franchitti. We had a very good run going there where we pushed each other, we won a lot of races and championships together, and I had that with other team-mates, too. And that is the hope with Felix. He could be the future of the team, which is a lot of pressure for him, too, but it’s also a huge opportunity.’’
Dixon, 38, enters his 19th IndyCar season full of energy. He’s setting out to win back-toback titles for the first time and sees everything as a new challenge.
‘‘If you’re searching for motivation, you know that what we did last year doesn’t count for anything. They don’t give you extra points to start the year because you’re the champion. I’m at zero points like the rest,’’ he told Racer.com.
‘‘I see it as a reset; things are always changing with new tracks we go to, new tyres; the competition’s going to change,’’ he said.
‘‘So, I don’t really drag a feeling of all the years with me. Each one is new, even though I’m more experienced with each year, so that’s the perspective I use to keep things fresh.’’
One of Dixon’s many strengths has been his ability to adapt to different tracks and situations. But he sees that as a potential handicap, especially with his history of making slow starts to seasons.
‘‘Is it coincidence that we can take too long to find the speed?’’ he asked of himself.
‘‘I don’t know, but I like to adapt. That’s probably sometimes a lot of my downside. I’ll try to adapt to a problem as opposed to fixing it, so maybe it takes longer in some weekends for us to get the car’s handling where I need it to be.’’
Dixon’s fifth title last year leaves him second only to AJ Foyt’s record of seven championships.