Wickens back behind the wheel

Injured Indycar star Robert Wickens made his return to a race car last week when he tested a TCR Hyundai Veloster at Mid-ohio.

The Canadian has been endeavouring to build up his lower body performance after incurring spinal damage, among several other injuries, in a huge Indycar crash on the Pocono oval in 2018.

The test came courtesy of Bryan Herta Autosport and Hyundai. One of BHA’S cars, regularly raced in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge by Stephen Simpson and Michael Johnson, is already equipped with hand controls since Johnson is paralysed from the chest down.

“Bryan approached me a few months ago and asked if I ever want to drive a race car again,” said Wickens. I said, ‘Of course’.

Then things started to slowly come together. Hyundai was doing a trackday here at Mid-ohio and it was the perfect opportunity, great timing. The hand controls Michael uses and the Veloster are brand new for me, so learning on a wet track wasn’t without its difficulties, but we chipped away at getting quicker and quicker.

“There’s a ring on the front of the steering wheel that you push for throttle, and another ring on the backside of the steering wheel that you pull in for brake, which I think is a great system. It’s a really steep learning curve and there’s been a lot of mental focus to preplan what I’m doing with my hands before I get to the next corner. It’s slowly starting to take shape where I’m having to think less about it.”

Wickens stated that the test for now was just a one-off, describing it as “a massive step in my journey back,” and added that “there’s nothing really in the pipeline”. Even so, he restated his aim to drive at “an elite level” in motorsport.