IS THERE LIFE (ARE THERE WINS?) IN THE FORTYSOMETHINGS?

For both Scott Dixon and Will Power, 2021 was a scrappy, aggravating season, that resulted in only one win apiece (although there woulda/ coulda/shoulda been at least one more for each), and at times both were left puzzled by being outperformed by a team-mate.

For Dixon, this was more troubling since it went on for much of the year, with Chip Ganassi Racing stablemate Alex Palou regularly outpacing him in qualifying and races, at least on road and street courses. Power’s troubles in comparison to Team Penske partner Josef Newgarden were more sporadic, and appeared to afflict him in the middle third of the year, but then he got his act together not only in terms of set-ups but also his mental approach to qualifying. He stopped bailing out of any flying laps where he felt he’d made an error and instead pressed on, and thus re-established himself as a top qualifier.

Anyone who thinks these Antipodean rivals are spent forces should think again. Between them they have 91 wins, and that’s because they’re always learning, always seeking ways to improve. They also drive for teams where there are enough facilities and research resources to tailor their set-ups to suit, to plough slightly more individual furrows should that prove necessary.

Helio Castroneves, as stated elsewhere, still needs to prove he’s back on the pace, although practice at Portland and qualifying at Long Beach last year suggest yes, he has still got it. But there is another Indy 500 winner who needs a big year, and that’s Takuma Sato. Following four years and four wins – including his second 500 triumph – at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, he has moved to Dale Coyne Racing after a subdued 2021. Sato has had only one test day with the team heading into St Petersburg, but he has the experience, skills and motivation to boost himself and his team forward.