IndyCar Wrap-Up: Andretti Autosport's 2023 Season

The seventh IndyCar Wrap-Up brings us to Andretti Autosport, which saw a slight change to its driver lineup for 2023, and about the same results as the year before. There were great days for the four-car organization, but Andretti Autosport continued to have woeful days where none of its cars were close to competitive, something that has become increasingly more common for this once championship-winning team.

Kyle Kirkwood

As a rookie, Kirkwood showed some pace with A.J. Foyt Racing but could not bring home the car and amass respectable finishes. The Foyt cars may have been lacking in overall quality, a problem that would not be the case at Andretti Autosport. Kirkwood was able to showcase the stunning ability we saw in the Road to Indy system, though it was far from a flawless season.

What objectively was his best race?
How about two victories? After finishing no better than tenth in his rookie season, Kirkwood won his third race of his sophomore season at Long Beach, and that first career victory came from his first career pole position. 

Not to out do himself, Kirkwood won four months later in Nashville, this one less a show of dominance, but rather better strategy as Kirkwood did not stop early under the first caution for David Malukas stopping off course. The pace allowed Kirkwood to stay ahead of those that did stop under that caution and he leapfrogged ahead of Scott McLaughlin in the middle of the race. Late cautions tightened up the field, but Kirkwood held on for his second career victory.

What subjectively was his best race?

Long Beach was fantastic. Kirkwood led 53 of 85 laps, a fair number of the laps but not a beat down. It was a smart drive as Kirkwood let Josef Newgarden control the second stint because Kirkwood knew he had the better tires for the longevity of that run. Kirkwood ended up re-taking the lead and pulling further away. There were plenty of opportunities for Kirkwood to get caught in traffic and lose ground, perhaps lose the lead, but he didn't put a wheel wrong.

What objectively was his worst race?
Kirkwood looked set to be in the mix at the finish of the Indianapolis 500. He was the best Andretti Autosport car and climbed into the top five. However, he was in the wrong place when Felix Rosenqvist spun back up the racetrack after Rosenqvist brushed the barrier on exit of turn one. The Swede clipped the American, shearing Kirkwood's left rear tire from the car and spinning the American out of the race. Instead of fighting to the finish, Kirkwood was out, classified in 28th after completing 183 laps.

What subjectively was his worst race?

Indianapolis is at the top, but two more should be mentioned, and both happened to be 15th-place results. 

St. Petersburg saw Andretti Autosport take three of the top five qualifiers. Kirkwood slid backward from the green flag and was never a factor while Romain Grosjean was one of the best drivers on track. It was an eventful race with Kirkwood after contact with Conor Daly and climbing over Jack Harvey's car. Somehow, he finished 15th, but it was disappointing. 

Kirkwood made an error on a restart at Toronto. He was the leading driver of the cars that stopped under the caution for Romain Grosjean getting in the barrier. At that point, it looked like Kirkwood had a chance to make it to the finish after that stop and was in position to possibly steal a victory. On that ensuing restart, Kirkwood spun Hélio Castroneves in the final corner, earning Kirkwood a penalty and ending any hope of victory. It might not have ended up as a victory had the contact been avoided, but Kirkwood was going to be challenging for a top five at worst.

Kyle Kirkwood's 2023 Statistics

Championship Position: 11th (352 points)
Wins: 2
Podiums: 2
Top Fives: 2
Top Tens: 7
Laps Led: 88
Poles: 1
Fast Sixes: 5
Fast Twelves: 9
Average Start: 11.647
Average Finish: 13.059

Colton Herta

With another offseason looking to Formula One behind him, Herta had a chance to put all the questions about his qualifications to bed and earn enough Super License points with a top three championship finish. However, Herta never came close to competing for the championship top three. He rarely competed for the top three in a race in what was a significant step back in his young career.

What objectively was his best race?
In Toronto, Herta went off strategy and was in position to be the leader as the race cycled after the caution for the Kirkwood-Castroneves contact, as Herta was set to stretch his fuel. However, Álex Palou passed Herta on the restart, meaning the race lead was not in the cards for Herta. 

Herta did have enough in the tank to still finish third after starting 14th.

What subjectively was his best race?

It really is Toronto in what was a letdown of a season for Herta. He had better pace than qualifying suggested. Changing weather conditions in qualifying relegated him down the grid. He had to do something different and the team gave him a strategy that earned him more positions.

What objectively was his worst race?
In Nashville, Herta attempted to go off strategy, but it did not pan out in his favor, and he was trapped in traffic for most of this race. Traffic kind of backed up Herta and led to an unforced error, Herta brushing the barrier. The damaged ended his race four laps from the finish in 21st.

What subjectively was his worst race?

There were plenty of ugly days for Herta, but he went winless after spending much of the previous offseason lobbying for an FIA Super License waiver to run in Formula One. He went winless after spending an entire winter saying he believed he should be in Formula One. This wasn't a winless season that saw him finish in the top five in all 17 races. This was a slightly better than mediocre season. 

Mid-Ohio was one of two races where Herta started on pole position, he led the first 26 laps but the team had the wrong tire strategy. That led to Herta chasing the entire race but constantly losing positions. Then he sped entering pit lane and that left him scraping to just make it back in the top ten. He ended up 11th.

Mid-Ohio might have been the dumbest race of Herta's season if it wasn't for Road America where he led 33 laps, but the team decided to bring Herta in for his final pit stop with 15 laps remaining. This put Herta into a massive fuel save stint and he went from leading to holding on to finish fifth. 

There were two glorious chances for victory, and Herta lost both because the team beat itself, something it has become all too good at.

 

Colton Herta's 2023 Statistics

Championship Position: 10th (356 points)
Wins: 0
Podiums: 2
Top Fives: 3
Top Tens: 8
Laps Led: 78
Poles: 2
Fast Sixes: 5
Fast Twelves: 6
Average Start: 8.8235
Average Finish: 11.471

Romain Grosjean

Year two with Andretti Autosport brought much excitement for Grosjean, as he continued to search for his first victory. The Frenchman was knocking on the door and had it in his grasp, however, this season will be remembered more for his inconsistency, as Andretti Autosport had three capable drivers but could not get all three firing on all cylinders in unison.

What objectively was his best race?
Grosjean had consecutive runner-up finishes this season. The first was at Long Beach behind teammate Kyle Kirkwood. Grosjean did not quite have what it took to defeat Kirkwood this day, but he was clearly in a good car and was worthy of second. 

The next race was Barber Motorsports Park and a fierce battle with Scott McLaughlin will be remembered for the ages. Grosjean made a daring pass on the outside of the penultimate corner to take the lead, but McLaughlin had better pace on the three-stop strategy and re-took the lead from Grosjean, holding on for victory. 

What subjectively was his best race?

It is likely the race we will remember the most for Grosjean all season, St. Petersburg. Grosjean had that race won. He and McLaughlin went at it and McLaughlin had been one of the best cars all race, but Grosjean looked better and at the end of the final pit cycle, it appeared Grosjean had done enough to leap ahead of McLaughlin and sail away to victory.

However, McLaughlin got the braking wrong into turn four on his out lap, and McLaughlin knocked Grosjean into the tires. If they both make it through that corner, Grosjean is leading and likely takes his first career IndyCar victory. Instead, the Frenchman was out of the race and distraught. It was a near-flawless drive. What went wrong was out of his control.

What objectively was his worst race?
For the second consecutive year, Grosjean had an accident in turn two at the Indianapolis 500. This time it came on lap 150, it was only the second caution of the race, and Grosjean ended up 30th. The race had not been going well for the Frenchman up to that point, and contact in the pit lane with his teammate Colton Herta had stymied both drivers' days up to that point.

What subjectively was his worst race?

There were a handful of disappointing result to pick from for Grosjean. Detroit might not be the first one on your radar, but this was a thrown away result he could not afford after all the promise the early races had shown. He should have had at least three podium finishes and four top five finishes in the first six races. After the Indianapolis result, Grosjean needed a good day. He was running a solid seventh before clipping the barrier. 

Detroit wasn't going to be a race victory. It was unlikely to be a top five, but this was a race where Grosjean just had to see the finish and bring the car home in one piece. It was more points dropped and confirmed what the tone of his season will be.

Romain Grosjean's 2023 Statistics

Championship Position: 13th (296 points)
Wins: 0
Podiums: 2
Top Fives: 2
Top Tens: 3
Laps Led: 96
Poles: 2
Fast Sixes: 6
Fast Twelves: 8
Average Start: 9.3529
Average Finish: 15.176

Devlin DeFrancesco

Expectations were much lower for DeFrancesco compared to his three teammates. His rookie season saw improvement toward the end of the year and he looked better in year two, but the pace was never on par with the rest of the organization. There was one big flash in the pan that quickly fizzled out, encapsulating the Canadian's two seasons with Andretti Autosport.

What objectively was his best race?
DeFrancesco avoided contact with competitors and the barrier in Detroit, allowing him to climb to a 12th-place finish from 17th starting position.

What subjectively was his best race?

Another race where DeFrancesco did nothing spectacular other than not making a mistake was Indianapolis where he finished 13th, completing all 200 laps. He did move up from 25th starting position but it was not a flashy drive, and he likely was gifted four to five spots due to other drivers being in accidents. 

What objectively was his worst race?
Slight contact with the barrier knocked the Canadian out of the Music City Grand Prix in Nashville. DeFrancesco was classified in 26th with only 65 laps completed.

What subjectively was his worst race?

You may think this was DeFrancesco's best race of the season, but in the August Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course race, DeFrancesco pulled off what could be the pass of the year going from fifth to first in turn one. However, after leading the opening eight laps, six of which were under caution, DeFrancesco sunk like a rock and ended up finishing a lap down in 19th. This came after he unexpectedly qualified in the top five. 

For about a 15-minute period it looked like DeFrancesco was going to steal the show and take the most unthinkable victory in IndyCar history. I guess the magic was never meant to last that long. 

Devlin DeFrancesco's 2023 Statistics

Championship Position: 22nd (177 points)
Wins: 0
Podiums: 0
Top Fives: 0
Top Tens: 0
Laps Led: 8
Poles: 0
Fast Sixes: 1
Fast Twelves: 2
Average Start: 18.176
Average Finish: 19.706

An Early Look Ahead

Andretti Autosport, soon to be Andretti Global as the organization rebrands, is just a good team in IndyCar. There is nothing wrong with being a good team. Most teams on the grid strive to be what Andretti Autosport is at the moment, but Andretti Autosport was once a great team. 

I wrote last year that IndyCar's "Big Three" was a "Big Two" because it had surpassed a decade since Andretti Autosport's last championship. That remains the case, but Andretti Autosport has continued to win races even if championships have been lacking. It won two more races this season, one of only three teams with multiple victories this season along with, you guessed it, Chip Ganassi Racing and Team Penske. 

The problem is those victories are not signs of greater dominance. Kirkwood hit on two days when the car was in the zone, but it has become increasingly more common that none of the four Andretti cars will be in the picture. 

Andretti Autosport did not have a top five finisher in any of the final four races of the 2023 season. It didn't have a top five finisher in 12 of 17 races this past season. In ten races it had only one top ten finisher. Twice the team failed to have a top ten finisher. Only once did it have multiple top five finishers and in only three races did it have multiple top ten finishers. 

Those aren't great numbers and are not close to good enough to win a championship. 

We will see a shift in drivers again. Kirkwood and Herta remain with Marcus Ericsson joining the fold as the team has questions over whether or not it will continue as a three- or four-car operation. Add to it that Romain Grosjean has filed for arbitration after his contract extension was not be picked up for 2024. 

During the summer, there were reports Andretti Autosport wanted to strengthen its driver lineup, essentially acknowledging a four-car operation with DeFrancesco in the fourth machine was not enough to compete with Ganassi and Penske. Money could force the team to scale back, but the team's best option all along could have been sitting right in its lap. It is getting a capable driver with Ericsson, but Ericsson should be an addition to its three top drivers from 2023 and not a replacement in what could be a shrinking team. 

Kirkwood, Herta, Grosjean and Ericsson is a formidable lineup on paper. Three of the four are race winners and Grosjean arguably should already have one victory to his name. The drivers can only go as far as the team takes them, and when Andretti Autosport is off, all four cars are off. It has not been able to get two or three cars regularly in the top ten for a handful of seasons.

It seems almost certain Grosjean will be gone. A fourth Andretti entry becomes less likely with each passing day, but the last time Andretti Autosport only ran three full-time cars, it won its most recent championship. 

Such a turnaround feels far-fetched entering 2024. Kirkwood, Herta and Ericsson should all win a race on paper, but winning on the tarmac has become harder for Andretti Autosport in recent years. Herta was its only driver in the championship top ten and he was behind two Arrow McLaren entries and a Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing driver. The issues are deeper at Andretti, and the distractions will only increase now that the FIA has approved its entry to Formula One with the next step being convincing the existing Formula One teams to let it compete. 

Kirkwood made a step in year-one with the team. He should grow from there. Herta went through three strategists in one season. Strategy has been a weak spot for Andretti Autosport for the last few seasons, but Kirkwood found a way to make it work with Bryan Herta calling the shots on his timing stand. Colton Herta must do the same with somebody. Three strategists a year is not a winning strategy.

Ericsson is a textbook good driver. The Swede puts the car in great positions and occasionally leads to victories, but while he has won four times in his IndyCar career, including winning an Indianapolis 500, he has yet to have a dominant day in IndyCar. While you hear his name frequently, the results are not sensational. He does have 50 top ten finishes in 80 starts, a solid batting average, but the biggest knock against Ericsson is 34 of those 50 top ten finishes are results from sixth to tenth. Good days, but rarely considered great days. 

Andretti Autosport should continue to be a good team as Andretti Global in 2024. Becoming a great team again will remain difficult.

IndyCar Wrap-Up: Andretti Autosport's 2022 Season

The second half of the IndyCar Wrap-Ups begin with a team we are used to being one of the last posted, but after the way results fell, Andretti Autosport gets reviewed a little earlier this offseason. Despite adding one of the most exciting drivers from the 2021 season, Andretti Autosport regressed and arguably IndyCar's "Big Three" has shrunk to the "Big Two,” Andretti Autosport excluded. 

Alexander Rossi
With his contract on everyone's mind, Rossi was looking for a turnaround in the 2022 season. After two full seasons without a victory, Rossi was looking to reestablish himself as one the top drivers in the series with Andretti Autosport. The spark didn't quite happen and it was another sluggish start. There was a rise in form but the future was already decided. There was a high point, but time had run its course and 2022 would mark the end to this chapter. 

What objectively was his best race?
Rossi got his first victory in over three years when he crossed the line first in the July Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course race. Rossi took advantage of teammate Colton Herta retiring from the race due to a gearbox failure after Herta ran over the curbs. Rossi led the final 44 laps and took victory in relative comfort.

What subjectively was his best race?

It was his second place finish in the Belle Isle race. Rossi started 11th but committed to a three-stop strategy early. He was one of the fastest cars on the track, but Will Power had equal pace on a two-stop strategy. Rossi was able to run harder in the final stint of the race and he chased down Power, but Rossi was only able to get within a second of Power at the time of the checkered flag.

What objectively was his worst race?
Rossi had electrical issues 11 laps into the Texas race and we never got to see what he could do in this race. This classified Rossi in 27th. 

What subjectively was his worst race?

Every Andretti Autosport driver will have the same answer. It is Mid-Ohio. Rossi and teammate Romain Grosjean got together while running in the top ten. Andretti Autosport was set to have three cars in the top ten in. Then it had none. It was a massive failure for the team. 

Toronto deserves a mention because Rossi was competing for a podium finish before running side-by-side with Felix Rosenqvist and Rosenqvist's car step out into Rossi's car, knocking Rossi into the turn four wall. Rossi was also lost for the entire Iowa weekend.

Alexander Rossi's 2022 Statistics
Championship Position: 9th (381 points)
Wins: 1
Podiums: 3
Top Fives: 5
Top Tens: 8
Laps Led: 70
Poles: 1
Fast Sixes: 6
Fast Twelves: 9
Average Start: 10.588
Average Finish: 12.059

Colton Herta

The most-hyped driver in IndyCar had much attention on him entering the 2022 season. With Formula One teams expressing interest and even Andretti Autosport looking to join the Formula One grid, Herta had to get results this year as Super License points were at a premium. The goal was third or better in the championship. The speed was there, but it didn't always translate into results and consistency was difficult to find. Based on the expectations set, this was a disappointing season. 

What objectively was his best race?
Herta drove an incredible race in the Grand Prix of Indianapolis, switching to the slick tires the earliest and performing a master-class in car control on a drying track. This included an incredible save in turns eight and nine that led to Herta taking the lead and never really looking back. 

The only thing that was going to stop Herta on that day was an untimely caution. He avoided all the trouble while nearly everyone else in the field had contact, a spun or an off-track excursion. It was a phenomenal drive from Herta.

What subjectively was his best race?

It is hard to go against the Grand Prix of Indianapolis, but the July IMS road course race saw Herta go from ninth to first in eight laps with no crazy weather or strategy. There wasn't a massive accident that took out six cars in front of Herta. He was making passes on each lap in the opening stint and we looked set for another Herta victory. 

He led 17 of the first 42 laps before clipping the curbs broke his gearbox and ended his race just prior to the halfway point. It was crushing to see Herta end up in 24th when he likely would have won this race. 

Nashville deserves a mention because Herta got into the barrier after contact with Dalton Kellett after starting 23rd, and he recovered mostly as the rest of the field took itself out for a fifth-place finish.

What objectively was his worst race?
Thirtieth in the Indianapolis 500 after Herta had an accident in Carb Day that saw the car somersault between turns one and two. The backup car was not even close to adequate for Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Herta was just treading water the entire race and off the lead lap early. He ended up running 129 laps before retiring due to a throttle issue.

What subjectively was his worst race?

It is Mid-Ohio because Herta was in the running for a podium finish. He could have pushed Scott McLaughlin for the victory, but Herta's team did not call him to the pit lane when Tatiana Calderón stopped on course. The rest of the lead lap cars did. Herta didn't. The team had about ten laps until he had to stop. He didn't come in under caution hoping to open a gap. It was working and then Grosjean and Rossi got together in the keyhole to bring out a caution. Now Herta hd to pit under caution. He lost positions. Grosjean then spun Herta and Herta finished 15th. 

Long Beach should be mentioned because Herta lost time through the first pit cycle, dropped to third, and then he overdrove the car and got into the barrier in turn nine on corner exit, killing what would have been at worst a third-place finish. 

Colton Herta's 2022 Statistics
Championship Position: 10th (381 points)
Wins: 1
Podiums: 2
Top Fives: 5

Top Tens: 8
Laps Led: 119
Poles: 2

Fast Sixes: 4
Fast Twelves: 9
Average Start: 10.647
Average Finish: 11.941

Romain Grosjean

One of the most thrilling drivers of the 2021 season, Grosjean moved from Dale Coyne Racing to Andretti Autosport as he became a full-time driver in IndyCar. With Grosjean added, Andretti Autosport constructed a promising trio that could contest with any other driver combinations on paper. Unfortunately, the races aren't run on paper. There were good days, but they never matched what we saw the year before from the Frenchman.

What objectively was his best race?
It was the runner-up result at Long Beach where Grosjean was pushing Josef Newgarden until the checkered flag. The late cautions gave Grosjean multiple attempts to make up positions. He did. He gave Newgarden a scare but could only finish second.

What subjectively was his best race?

It is probably Long Beach, but Grosjean looked really good at Road America after not making it out of the second round of qualifying by a hair. That was the last race this season Grosjean looked capable of winning a race until Laguna Seca, where Grosjean had good speed but ended up falling to seventh.

What objectively was his worst race?
The Indianapolis 500, where he spun after 105 laps in turn two and ended up classified in 31st. Grosjean had been one of Andretti Autosport's best drivers for the entire month of May, but the race pace didn't transfer over from qualifying. 

What subjectively was his worst race?

Mid-Ohio because he and Rossi got together and then spun Herta when Herta had a chance to at least recover and make up some positions. The worst part of Grosjean's season is he was stagnant to last year. He led three laps all season. He had one podium finish. There were plenty of bad stretches for Grosjean where you looked up and wondered how he was running 14th. He was further from a victory this year with Andretti Autosport than he was with Dale Coyne Racing last year.

Romain Grosjean's 2022 Statistics
Championship Position: 13th (328 points)
Wins: 0
Podiums: 1
Top Fives: 3
Top Tens: 6
Laps Led: 3
Poles: 0
Fast Sixes: 4
Fast Twelves: 10
Average Start: 10.471
Average Finish: 13.076

Devlin DeFrancesco

A new driver to the IndyCar grid, DeFrancesco moved up from Indy Lights after rather pedestrian results. No victories and only two podium finishes, DeFrancesco did not scream IndyCar talent, but he was on the grid and with one of the best teams. The results were at the level expected, but there was some improvement over the course of the season. 

What objectively was his best race?
A 12th-place finish at Gateway.

What subjectively was his best race?

It is Gateway. DeFrancesco was running with the rest of the Andretti drivers for most of this race. He looked better than Alexander Rossi for part of it. Iowa was the same. DeFrancesco was better than Rossi in both races, but only got the better finish in one of them. 

What objectively was his worst race?
DeFrancesco was 25th at Long Beach after he hit the turn nine barrier after making a pit stop.

What subjectively was his worst race?

Mid-Ohio is DeFrancesco's subjectively worst race because he and Rossi got together when neither driver should have been that aggressive. DeFrancesco also had his hand in three accident at Texas, ending the race of Takuma Sato and Kyle Kirkwood and he had a boneheaded move take out himself, Graham Rahal and Hélio Castroneves. Texas was worse than Mid-Ohio for DeFrancesco but DeFrancesco could have at least the bright spot for Andretti Autosport at Mid-Ohio and even he stumbled in that race.

Devlin DeFrancesco's 2022 Statistics
Championship Position: 23rd (206 points)
Wins: 0
Podiums: 0
Top Fives: 0
Top Tens: 0
Laps Led: 1
Poles: 0
Fast Sixes: 0
Fast Twelves: 1
Average Start: 19.059
Average Finish: 18.412

An Early Look Ahead

This is a team with an identity crisis. 

Its lead driver is a 22-year-old. That should never be the case unless it is a single-car team. Even worse is everyone is trying to kick Herta out of the team and send him to Formula One. Then where is Andretti Autosport going? 

It is Herta, who everyone is preparing to leave IndyCar, Grosjean, who had a disappointing season in 2022 and never looked like the strongest Andretti driver at any point this season, Kyle Kirkwood, who is moving over from A.J. Foyt Racing but who might be scarred and for the most of 2022 couldn't keep the car on the track and DeFrancesco, who made improvements but is still fighting to break the top fifteen at best. 

Your 2023 Andretti Autosport lineup, ladies and gentlemen. 

Did you know Herta was third in the 2020 IndyCar championship standings? Yeah, surprising he was that good two years ago. 

After the last few seasons it is hard to imagine Andretti getting its house in order and contending for a championship and this was once one of the "Big Three," one of the three teams you always expect to have at least one championship contender. Herta has the talent but the pieces around him just don't add up to this being a driver anyone should worry about. It hasn't helped that Herta is prone to making mistakes and taking himself out of race. Add poor strategy and he is getting screwed in two fashions. 

Andretti Autosport has diminished to a team that can click on one or two days but cannot put together a full season. They are barely any better than Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and Ed Carpenter Racing at the moment. The biggest issue for the team is it can show the pace in practice and qualifying but then have the race fall apart. Until it overcomes that it will have to settle for one or two victories a year and about eight other results wondering where it went wrong. 

The toughest thing projecting this team's future is I don't see the direction it is heading. It once was a team that at least had Tony Kanaan or Ryan Hunter-Reay and it looked to be set for a future with Alexander Rossi and Colton Herta. Now Rossi is gone and with Herta in limbo I am not sure what five years out looks like for this team. If Grosjean doesn't improve I could see the pressure being on him, and he could decide to walk. Kirkwood has to look halfway competent in 2023 to have any hope he could be the future and DeFrancesco isn't the caliber driver to build around. 

My fear is Andretti Autosport has become spread too thin with its interest in Formula One combined with the Formula E program and let's not forget the LMP3 program in IMSA with interest of getting involved in LMDh. As Andretti Autosport spreads its tentacles we see the IndyCar program getting worse. How low do the results have to be before team management takes serious notice?

When Grosjean joined the team, everyone agreed it was a step up from Dale Coyne Racing, but after seeing the last two seasons, will other drivers consider such a move as upward? That is a crazy question to be asking as Andretti Autosport has five Indianapolis 500 victories and though it has been over a decade since its most recent championship, it is still one of only three teams to win the championship in the last 20 seasons. 

There has to be a significant improve for Andretti Autosport in 2023. This group cannot fall into the vast middle that exists in IndyCar. It was long held as one of the best groups in the series. Next year it must get back on track to rejoin that top tier.

2022 IndyCar Team Preview: Andretti Autosport

January might feel early for IndyCar previews, but in 45 days the season will begin at St. Petersburg. It is time to look ahead. Teams have started testing in preparation for the new season, a 17-race, 14-track trek that will last 196 days. The schedule has been mixed up a little, and there could be a few returning tracks. 

The first team preview will look at Andretti Autosport. It has been a few rough seasons for the past champions. It won a few races, but all those victories came with Colton Herta. A few more races were lost. Alexander Rossi had difficulty getting results again and was clearly second in the team. Ryan Hunter-Reay has left the team after 11 seasons. James Hinchcliffe is gone after a one-year return. For 2022, Andretti has drafted in two new drivers. One was a standout in 2021. 

After Álex Palou won the championship last year, it had me thinking about how to tweak these previews. Palou went under the radar and was not considered a championship contender. He won the season opener and never looked back. Not every driver will be fighting for the championship, but there is a path for every driver. This year's set of previews will ask what each driver's possible championship looks like and then also ask what is a realistic season for that driver. 

2021 Andretti Autosport Review

Wins: 3 (St. Petersburg, Laguna Seca, Long Beach)

Poles: 3 (St. Petersburg, Nashville, Laguna Seca)

Championship Finishes: 5th (Colton Herta), 10th (Alexander Rossi), 17th (Ryan Hunter-Reay), 20th (James Hinchcliffe), 35th (Marco Andretti)

2021 Drivers:

Colton Herta - #26 Gainbridge Honda

Herta's 2021 season began with him being caught in the opening lap accident at Barber Motorsports Park when Josef Newgarden spun exiting turn four. Herta had qualified fourth. Bouncing back at St. Petersburg, won pole position, and led 97 of 100 laps on his way to victory. A wheel bearing issue took him out at the first Texas race, but he was fifth in the Sunday race. 

Indianapolis was not his best pair of races for Herta. He was 13th in the Grand Prix of Indianapolis and poor strategy wasted a second place starting position in the Indianapolis 500, with Herta finishing 16th. Though he was 14th in the first Belle Isle race, Herta ran an aggressive strategy in the second race, and was catching Newgarden before two cautions late. Herta did not have the car on restarts and dropped to fourth. 

Herta was set for a podium finish at Road America and was elevated to second after Newgarden had his gearbox issues late. Re-fueling issues forced Herta to stop for a splash on the penultimate lap at Mid-Ohio, dropping him to 13th. He looked set to dominate another street race at Nashville, but the fractured nature of that race set Herta back. He proceeded to climb up the order and challenge Marcus Ericsson for the lead in the closing laps. With six laps to go, Herta got into the turn nine barrier and ended what should have been at least a runner-up finish. 

He bounced back with a third at the second IMS road course race, but a driveshaft broke while leading at Gateway and effectively ended Herta's championship hopes. He was eighth at Portland, but the season ended on a high note. Returning to Laguna Seca, Herta was back on pole position and led 91 of 95 laps. At Long Beach, Herta was fastest during practice, but a qualifying mistake staying on the primary tire meant he did not advance from round one. Starting 14th, Herta shot out the order and took the lead on lap 34. He led 43 of 85 laps and closed the season with his second consecutive victory.

Numbers to Remember:

5: Podium finishes in 2021, tied for third most.

5: Finishes outside the top fifteen in 2021.

14.6: Average finish in 19 oval starts.

What does a championship season look like for him?

Herta wins the three races he won in 2021, but he also wins at Nashville and his driveshaft doesn't break while leading at Gateway, giving him another victory, and on top of all that he doesn't having the other mechanical issues nor gets caught in an opening lap accident to start the season. 

The team nails every pit stop and doesn't put him on the fence in terms of fuel mileage, preventing him from running at 100% and possibly costing a handful of positions. There are no qualifying hiccups and Herta is always starting at the front of the field. On restarts, Herta is going forward and not backward. 

A respectable Indianapolis 500 result would also help. Anywhere in the top eight would go a long way and a few extra bonus points from qualifying would help. Oval results improving across the board would be a major development and make him a more dangerous terms in terms of running away with the championship. A career year on ovals would be make Herta very difficult to beat in the championship and a victory would be significant. 

Overall, at least four victories, top five finishes in at least half the races and top ten finishes at least 15 times would make him difficult to beat for the title.

What does a realistic season look like for him?

Herta's championship season is realistic. The speed is there, and he is a proven race winner. Not only are these victories but shear beatdowns for Herta. He doesn't luck into his victories. He goes out and flexes his muscle from the drop of the green flag. 

There were a few races that went against Herta in 2020 that likely do not happen again. He was going to pass Newgarden in the closing laps in the second Belle Isle race before Jimmie Johnson spun. If Nashville decreased the insanity by just 15%, he likely wins that race and if the driveshaft holds up at Gateway, he would already have an oval victory to his name.

Even if those three races are flipped, Herta would still have had a few poor results, but six victories in a year where nobody else truly dominated would have at least put Herta in the conversation for the title in the finale. He might have still fallen short, but he would have been right there. 

If Herta and team cleans things up, the best possible outcome is within reach.

Alexander Rossi - #27 NAPA Auto Parts/AutoNation Honda

After finishing 2020 in generally good form, Rossi could not get into a rhythm in 2021. 

Poor tire strategy knocked him from a possible podium finish to ninth at Barber. Contact with Graham Rahal ended a possible top five finish at St. Petersburg. He was eighth in the first Texas race and was caught in the start accident in the second race. May started with a seventh in the Grand Prix of Indianapolis, but an emergency pit stop and stalling within the first 100 miles of the Indianapolis 500 put Rossi in a hole he couldn't get out. Trapped a lap down and with almost no attrition, Rossi was 29th but only two laps down! 

Through the first nine races, Rossi alternated top ten finish with non-top ten finish. His first top five was fifth Mid-Ohio, but a slow pit stop kept him from finishing on the podium. Patricio O'Ward spun Rossi at Nashville, ending a possible top five finish. He was fourth in the second IMS road course race, and then brushed the wall after getting in the marbles fighting for a podium finish at Gateway. 

Overcoming a blow start at Portland, Rossi was second. He qualified second at Laguna Seca, but a nudge after attempting a pass for the lead on Herta in five spun Rossi off course and he finished 25th. He ended the season with a sixth in Long Beach.

Numbers to Remember:

2: Laps led in 2021.

37: Starts since his most recent IndyCar victory.

12.3: Rossi's average finish in 2021, the worst of his IndyCar career and his second consecutive season resetting his worst average finish in a season.

What does a championship season look like for him?

Rossi combines the best aspects of his 2018 and 2019 seasons. 

He dominates Long Beach, he has a great Indianapolis 500 and this time holds on in the closing laps to get his second victory, and puts together dominant days at Road America and Mid-Ohio. On days when victory is not possible, Rossi is able to maximize points and finish ahead of his main championship rivals, regularly finishing on the podium. 

Balance is achieved on both tire compounds and there are no instances of Rossi losing five spots in one stint mid-race because of tire compound choice. His qualifying results are impeccable. The minor incidents that lead to catastrophic results do not occur. Cautions go his way. Rossi is the leader in the team. He is constantly coming out on top in every session, from the first practice session to the race. 

What does a realistic season look like for him?

After two winless seasons, it feels like a win is due to Rossi, but he didn't come that close in 2021. In 2020, there were at least three races where it felt like Rossi was there and just the wrong thing happened each time. We didn't see any of those races in 2021. Perhaps Portland falls in that category, but that was such a weird comeback where Rossi fell back due to cutting the chicane at the start and then he had to follow Álex Palou to the front. 

If the likes of Rinus VeeKay can win in IndyCar and Marcus Ericsson can win twice, Rossi can get at least one victory. He can also be on the podium more than once. 

Rossi's largest hurdle is his own teammate, Herta, and there could possibly be a second stablemate giving him serious competition. For two seasons, Rossi has not even been the best of his own quartet. If he is third and looks up to see Herta is first, he could have the most infuriating career season in a career. 

Andretti Autosport could have multiple championship contenders, something the team really hasn't had since the days of Tony Kanaan, Dan Wheldon and Dario Franchitti. Multiple victories and six to eight podium finishes are possible for Rossi, but two or three poor results could plague his season and keep him outside the top five in the championship.

Romain Grosjean - #28 DHL Honda

The anticipated IndyCar debut of Grosjean saw him make it out of round one in his first IndyCar qualifying session, and he finished tenth on debut at Barber for Dale Coyne Racing. Another good day in 13th followed at St. Petersburg. 

On Grosjean's first visit to Indianapolis Motor Speedway, he won pole position for the Grand Prix of Indianapolis and led majority of the race. Difficulty with traffic cost Grosjean the lead, but he was still second in his third career start. He would come back to Earth at Belle Isle, hitting the barrier in race one and having a brake fire in race two. But good days would continue with a fifth at Road America and seventh at Mid-Ohio. 

A penalty for contact took away a possible top ten finish at Nashville and he was second again on the IMS road course. With confidence, Grosjean took his first crack at oval, starting 15th at Gateway. Grosjean improved with each lap and was making passes. Cold tires were his downfall and he lost significant time after each pit stop. He could have finished in the top ten but was caught a lap down when Rossi got into the barrier and finished 14th. 

He was in the opening lap accident at Portland but continued with a damaged race car. All he could manage was 22nd. Arguably Grosjean's best race was Laguna Seca, moving from 13th to third with many impressive passes and showing great pace on each tire compound. Grosjean was in contention for another top ten finish at Long Beach but slapped the barrier and ended his race early.

Numbers to Remember:

20.923: Points per start in 2021.

334: Points based on Grosjean's point per start over 16 starts, good enough for tenth in the championship in 2021.

20: Average finish on street courses in 2021.

What does a championship season look like for him?

Grosjean takes his world-class talent and combined with a championship-caliber team sees him immediately imposed his will on IndyCar. Grosjean wins early in the season, is on the podium in three of the first five races and he completes all 500 miles at Indianapolis, finishing somewhere between ninth and 16th. 

From there, Grosjean builds on his championship lead and picks up at least one victory in the next three races. He keeps his nose clean at the Iowa doubleheader and finishes the season with top five finishes in each of the last five races with at least one, if not two victories. 

What does a realistic season look like for him?

A championship is not a crazy expectation for Grosjean. We just saw Palou win the title in his sophomore season after moving to a new team, and Grosjean is quite talented. 

However, let's temper expectations and remember Andretti Autosport has been struggling the last few seasons. The team has brought Olivier Boisson over with Grosjean from Dale Coyne Racing. That engineering mind should lift the team. 

Road and street course results should not be a concern. He should win once or twice. Ovals will be new. He looked good at moments last year at Gateway, but also showed exactly where he needs to improve, notably on cold tires. Gateway is one animal. Texas and Indianapolis are entirely different beasts. He is with one of the best teams, but he will still have to overcome his own insecurities. For a driver who long expressed trepidation over competing on ovals, the risks will alway linger in his mind and could hamper his output. 

Grosjean should be a top ten championship driver and push for a top five spot. 

Devlin DeFrancesco - #29 Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport Honda

After finishing runner-up in the 2020 Indy Pro 2000 championship, DeFrancesco moved up to Indy Lights in the Andretti Autosport program. 

The season opened with a pair of third-place finishes. His season took a step back with an accident in the first St. Petersburg race, but he was fifth in race two. DeFrancesco would have only one top five finish in the next six races. He found his form over the summer with a pair of fifth-place finishes in Mid-Ohio, and a fourth and a fifth at the Gateway doubleheader. 

Mechanical issues knocked him to 11th in the first Portland race and he would finish outside the top five in the next four races. He ended the season with an impressive drive in the wet to finish fourth, but he ended up sixth in the championship and third among the four Andretti Autosport cars.

Numbers to Remember:

2: Victories in 37 Road to Indy starts, both in Indy Pro 2000 (Gateway and the first New Jersey Motorsports Park race in 2020)

7: Years since DeFrancesco was selected as a Chip Ganassi Racing development driver.

17.4: James Hinchcliffe's average finish in this car last season.

What does a championship season look like for him?

Any championship season for DeFrancesco is built off the back of a strong Indianapolis 500. If it is still double points, a top three finish with possibly some qualifying bonus can notably boost a championship finish a few positions. 

A DeFrancesco championship season also means he outperforms what history projects for him. He would have to be the best rookie in every race, stun his three senior teammates, and somehow win at least four or five times. 

What does a realistic season look like for him?

James Hinchcliffe did not put up great numbers in this car last year and Hinchcliffe already had multiple IndyCar victories to his name. I am not sure how DeFrancesco exceeds those results significantly. He couldn't finish in the top five of an Indy Lights championship that had only nine drivers compete in every race. If you cannot win in Indy Lights, I cannot imagine you are going to be impressive in IndyCar. 

DeFrancesco has done well in a few championships, but also been nonchalant in others. Matheus Leist won multiple Indy Lights races and wasn't much of a challenger in IndyCar. Leist was driving for A.J. Foyt Racing, but DeFrancesco is stepping into a car that was 20th in the championship, a.k.a Foyt territory. 

DeFrancesco could get a top ten finish or two, but I don't think he will be close to his teammate this season. There is a high possibility we could see a race where Herta, Rossi and Grosjean are all in the top five and DeFrancesco is struggling to break into the top 20. 

The 2022 NTT IndyCar Series season begins on Sunday February 27 with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. NBC's coverage will begin at noon ET.

IndyCar Wrap-Up: Andretti Autosport's 2021 Season

The seventh IndyCar Wrap-Up will look at Andretti Autosport. After an underwhelming 2020 season with five cars, Andretti Autosport was down to four cars after Marco Andretti stepped back from full-time competition. The season started with an early victory, but the results did not come with the same regularity as the organization would have hoped for. The 2021 season ended with better results than the year before, but it cannot be viewed as an overwhelming success. 

Colton Herta was close to great in 2021, but the key word is close

Colton Herta

Herta took on new colors and a new number in 2021, moving to the #26 Gainbridge Honda. He looked like a championship challenger after the opening races, but Herta fell in a rut during the month of May. There were plenty of strong runs that did not reap the reward they deserved. However, Herta ended the season on his highest possible note.

What objectively was his best race?
Herta won three races and he was the best driver in all of them. He led 97 of 100 laps from pole position at St. Petersburg and in the second victory he led 91 of 95 laps from pole position at Laguna Seca. He qualified 14th at Long Beach after topping the first two practice sessions, but he could not be slowed in the season finale. He passed cars with ease and it only took him 34 laps to take the lead. He led 43 of 85 laps, the most in the race, and closed the season with his third victory of the season.

What subjectively was his best race?

It is a tie between the final two races of the season. At Laguna Seca, he ran away from the field on a high degradation circuit when many drivers struggled with the balance of the race car. 

Herta, on the other hand, was in a league of his own. He pulled away from everyone and never looked under duress. Álex Palou got close once Herta caught traffic, but Herta cleared it and Palou could not keep up. No one could. Not often in IndyCar do we see a leader make a green flag pit stop and come out with the lead. Herta did that at Laguna Seca. Sensational stuff.

At Long Beach, Herta was the fastest in the first two practice sessions and then the team made the unwise choice of trying to advance from the first round of qualifying without using the alternate tire. Mistake. He was seventh in his group, did not advance and had to start 14th. 

Once the race started, Herta climbed the order very quickly and he was leading at lap 34. It wasn't the same drive away from the field like we saw at Laguna Seca but Herta's performance alone to get to the front is something you don't usually see. There are plenty of times a quick car does not get out of round one and, though it has been the fastest all weekend, it can only pull out an eighth or maybe get into the top five. Herta led 43 laps, over half the race from 14th on the grid, and he didn't get the lead because of a timely caution. He took the top spot for himself on the track. 

 

What objectively was his worst race?
Herta had two finishes of 22nd in the first three races. The first was Barber when he was caught in the opening lap accident after Josef Newgarden spun. The other was when a wheel bearing failed in the first Texas race while Herta was in contention for a top five finish.

What subjectively was his worst race?

There are two races Herta should have won this year that completely got away from him. 

Herta was brilliant at Nashville. He was the fastest car and I am not sure anyone would have caught him if it just ran like a normal race. Instead, over 41% of the laps were under caution and it allowed the field to be shaken up and Marcus Ericsson to lead late. Herta charged to the front making passes others could not have dreamt of trying and was on Ericsson's gearbox in the closing laps. Unfortunately, Herta overstepped the limit in turn nine late and slammed the barrier with six laps to go. 

Two races later, Herta had led over 100 laps at Gateway and looked to be in control just before the final pit window was to open. A clean stop and Herta was going to be set to retain the lead and likely hold on for victory. This time the driveshaft broke and his race was over 75 laps early. 

 

Colton Herta's 2021 Statistics
Championship Position: 5th (455 points)
Wins: 3
Podiums: 5
Top Fives: 7
Top Tens: 8
Laps Led: 382
Poles: 3
Fast Sixes: 6
Fast Twelves: 11 
Average Start: 4.3571
Average Finish: 10.125

2021 was not the rebound Alexander Rossi had hoped for

Alexander Rossi

After going winless in 2020, Rossi hoped to return to his winning ways in 2021. However, Rossi proved to be inconsistent and could not get over that hump and return to IndyCar's leading group. There were good days, but Rossi wasn't even the best within the Andretti organization most days let alone the entire NTT IndyCar Series. 

What objectively was his best race?
Rossi's best finish was second at Portland after being shuffled out of the top ten immediately because he did not make the first chicane at the start. The way the race played out with three-stop strategies holding the advantage. Rossi used it and climbed back to the front, getting back to where he started in second.

What subjectively was his best race?

Oof... this is a little harder than you would think because while Rossi was good, he was really just good. He only led two laps all year and that was in the midst of the early pit cycle in the first Belle Isle race because nobody wanted to be on the alternate compound for long. He looked very competitive in that first Belle Isle race but the way the cautions fell did not allow Rossi to get back to the front and he had to settle for seventh. 

Rossi also looked set for a podium at Mid-Ohio before a slow pit stop dropped him to fifth. Neither of those races sound great when figuring out what his subjectively best race was. I guess that makes it Portland. 

 

What objectively was his worst race?
Rossi was 29th in the Indianapolis 500. 

What subjectively was his worst race?

There were a lot of races that did not click for Rossi starting with Indianapolis. 

Of all the races for Rossi to run out of fuel because the first caution of the race occurred at the worst possible time and then it required the car to be completely recycled before it could be restarted, it was Indianapolis. Once restarted, he had already fallen off the lead lap. Needing a caution to possibly be waved back onto the lead lap that caution never came. When a caution did fall, Scott Dixon got back on the lead lap. Rossi was stuck a lap down for the final 400 miles. We never got to see what he could really do. 

But Indianapolis was just one of a handful of lost results for Rossi. Contact with Graham Rahal cost him a top five at St. Petersburg. He was caught in the start accident in the second Texas race. Patricio O'Ward hit him at Nashville, a race where Rossi was likely the second best car to Herta. He slapped the wall at Gateway after he got in the marbles when fighting for a podium position after his final pit stop. Then light contact with Herta spun Rossi off circuit at Laguna Seca. What went right for Rossi this season?

 

Alexander Rossi's 2021 Statistics
Championship Position: 10th (332 points)
Wins: 0
Podiums: 1
Top Fives: 3
Top Tens: 9
Laps Led: 2
Poles: 0
Fast Sixes: 4
Fast Twelves: 10
Average Start: 7.1429
Average Finish: 12.313

Ryan Hunter-Reay found rock-bottom

Ryan Hunter-Reay

Andretti Autosport's most successful driver Hunter-Reay entered 2021 in the final year of his contract and off the back of two consecutive seasons without a victory. Needing results, Hunter-Reay had one of the toughest seasons of his IndyCar career.

What objectively was his best race?
Hunter-Reay was fourth at Nashville. He made his way into the top ten quickly and was one of the better cars in this race. Andretti Autosport had all four cars on point in Nashville and without cautions it could have put all four cars in the top five.

What subjectively was his best race?

It is also subjectively his worst race. It is the Indianapolis 500. 

Hunter-Reay was in the top five late and he could have been a player at the end. He was hanging with Álex Palou, Hélio Castroneves and Patricio O'Ward when he locked up the tires entering pit lane for his final pit stop and it earned him a penalty. At that point in the season, Hunter-Reay had not experienced any success. In a sense, this mistake foreshadowed his entire season. It was really the only race it felt like he could have won.

What objectively was his worst race?
Twice Hunter-Reay finished 24th and both results were after first lap accident. The first was the first lap of the season at Barber when he was collected in the Josef Newgarden spin. The second was when he was clipped at the start of Mid-Ohio and wasted a top ten starting position.

What subjectively was his worst race?

Indianapolis is the worst. I am not saying he would have beat Palou and prevented Castroneves from getting his fourth victory, but we saw Hunter-Reay win an Indianapolis 500 late before. He had a chance to be in the top three or four of the Indianapolis 500 with fewer than 100 miles to go and in touching distance of the lead. That opportunity doesn't come around every year. At his age, it might have been the final time Hunter-Reay came that close to greatness.

Ryan Hunter-Reay's 2021 Statistics
Championship Position: 17th (256)
Wins: 0
Podiums: 0
Top Fives: 1
Top Tens: 3
Laps Led: 4
Poles: 0
Fast Sixes: 0
Fast Twelves: 4
Average Start: 14.0
Average Finish: 15.313

It was not a kind year for James Hinchcliffe

James Hinchcliffe

Hinchcliffe returned to full-time compeition after spending 2020 in a part-time role. It was also Hinchcliffe's first full season with Andretti Autosport since 2014. The Canadian's second stint with the team did not come close to matching the heights of his first go-round. 

What objectively was his best race?
Hinchcliffe was third at Nashville after his teammate Herta slammed the barrier. It was a race where all the Andretti cars were sharp and for a moment it looked like Andretti Autosport was going to have a banner day, one that possibly could have matched its famous 1-2-3-4 result at St. Petersburg in 2005.

What subjectively was his best race?

Nashville is Hinchcliffe's only good race. He wasn't close really anywhere else. He was solidly locked in the middle or rear of the field in every other race.

 

What objectively was his worst race?
Another Portland race saw Hinchcliffe taken out in the first turn chicane at the start. Three Portland starts, three opening laps accidents in turn one. This year, Hinchcliffe was classified in 27th.

What subjectively was his worst race?

Can we just say the entire season was horrible? There are no bright spots other than Nashville. There isn't even a race where he qualified fifth, spent much of the race in seventh and then dropped to 11th or 12th because he was on the worst tire compound in the final stint and just slid backward. He was never in that position at any point in 2021. 

It was appallingly bad, a black eye to a career Hinchcliffe was hope to revive this season after being sidelined for majority of 2020 after unceremoniously losing his ride when McLaren took over Schmidt Peterson Motorsports. Hinchcliffe made AMSP look justified for its unpopular decision. That is the last thing he wanted to do this year. 

 

James Hinchcliffe's 2021 Statistics
Championship Position: 20th (220 points)
Wins: 0
Podiums: 1
Top Fives: 1
Top Tens: 1
Laps Led: 0
Poles: 0
Fast Sixes: 0
Fast Twelves: 5 
Average Start: 15.214
Average Finish: 17.438

An Early Look Ahead

Romain Grosjean replaces Hunter-Reay in the #28 DHL Honda. That is the storyline of the offseason. 

Hunter-Reay had been with the team for over a decade. When Hunter-Reay joined Andretti Autosport, Grosjean was between Formula One stints and split 2010 driving in GP2 Series, Auto GP, the FIA GT1 World Championship and as Pirelli's Formula One test driver ahead of it returning to the series in 2011 with the Enstone-based Lotus F1 Team. 

History aside, between Herta's success, Rossi's past and Grosjean's rookie season with Dale Coyne Racing, Andretti Autosport has to win more races and it needs a championship contender to the wire in 2022. Herta could have been in the title fight this year if it wasn't for accidents and mechanical issues. He lost a top five finish at Texas and likely victories if not at least podium finishes at Nashville and Gateway. 

Herta is there, and he isn't going anywhere anytime soon as Andretti Autosport will not purchase Sauber's Formula One program. Grosjean has kinks to work out. The Frenchman did not have good days on street courses and he will be taking on ovals head-on next year. Rossi is confusing. Rossi might not have won in 2020, but he had four consecutive podium finishes prior to the season finale, a St. Petersburg race he dominated before he got into the barrier during the final pit cycle. We didn't see Rossi come that close in 2021. 

As for the fourth car, it will likely be Devlin DeFrancesco, even though DeFrancesco was fifth in Indy Lights, did not win a race and only had two podium finishes. Meanwhile, Andretti's Indy Lights champion Kyle Kirkwood, who tied Greg Moore's record for most victories in an Indy Lights season, is not the front-runner for the IndyCar seat. Kirkwood has tested for the team and could get an opportunity in 2022, but Kirkwood is reportedly free to look for rides elsewhere next season. 

When Herta joined the team, I wondered if Rossi's window had shut in becoming a champion with Andretti Autosport. Throw Grosjean into the equation and Rossi's job only becomes tougher. Three years ago, Rossi was destined to be champion. Now, he is clearly not the top driver in his own team. 

There is pressure across the board for this team, Rossi might face the most. Herta will have his share, especially after how 2021 ended. Grosjean has eyes on him moving from one of IndyCar's minnows to one of the "Big Three." 

All three drivers need to win next year. None of them can really afford a winless season. Grosjean will receive a little more forgiveness, but for Rossi and Herta there are no excuses. This is a pivotal point in Rossi's career. Herta could become one of IndyCar's youngest champions while he was just heavily linked to a sudden Formula One move. Results have to improve. 

Next year marks ten years since Andretti Autosport's most recent championship with Hunter-Reay. Michael Andretti purchased majority stake of this team in 2003. The team won four championships in its first ten seasons. It never went longer than five years between championships before this stretch. If Andretti Autosport does not win the championship this year or does not have at least one driver with a respectable championship fight, I think we need to talk about downgrading Andretti Autosport and admitting IndyCar only has a "Big Two."

 

2021 IndyCar Team Preview: Andretti Autosport

Our penultimate IndyCar Team Preview is Andretti Autosport, which will undergo a slight contraction for the 2021 season. Last season, the team expanded to five cars with the Harding Steinbrenner Racing organization officially brought under the Andretti Autosport umbrella with Colton Herta. The team got off to a slow start, one of the few teams caught out due to the season delay. The team found its legs, Herta led the organization, Alexander Rossi fought back from a sluggish opening and Ryan Hunter-Reay held his own, but despite fielding almost a fifth of the grid, the team won only one race.

The team will only run four full-time cars in 2021, with Marco Andretti stepping back to a part-time role. Herta will switch seats within the organization while James Hinchcliffe returns to full-time status. 

2020 Andretti Autosport Review

Wins: 1 (Mid-Ohio II)

Poles: 2 (Indianapolis 500, Mid-Ohio II)

Championship Finishes: 3rd (Colton Herta), 9th (Alexander Rossi), 10th (Ryan Hunter-Reay), 20th (Marco Andretti), 21st (Zach Veach), 23rd (James Hinchcliffe)

2021 Drivers:

Colton Herta - #26 Gainbridge Honda

Herta was the only Andretti Autosport driver to start 2020 on a good note. He picked up four consecutive top ten finishes to open the season, including three consecutive top five finishes between Texas and the Road America doubleheader.

Iowa were two difficult nights for him. In the first race, he launched over Rinus VeeKay when a restart was waved off and it ended a possible top five run. He started fifth in the second Iowa race, but never found a good balance in the car and finished 19th, three laps down. 

His second Indianapolis 500 start was much better than his first. He qualified tenth and went the distance, spending much of the race in the top ten, but he didn't get into the lead pack and contend for victory. He ended up finishing eighth. He followed up his Indianapolis success with a pair of strong races at Gateway with finishes of fourth and sixth. 

After a ninth in the first Mid-Ohio race, he won pole position for the second Mid-Ohio race and led 57 of 75 laps on his way to a dominant victory, leading an Andretti Autosport 1-2-3, the team's second podium sweep and first since 2005. At the Harvest Grand Prix, he led 29 laps in the first race, but slid back as his tires faded in the closing stint and finished fourth. In the second race, he spent the entire day in second behind Will Power, pushing the Australian but falling 0.893 seconds short of victory.  

He spent much of the St. Petersburg season finale running second to his teammate Alexander Rossi. When Rossi exited the race due to an accident, Herta inherited the top spot but he experienced a turbo issue. He dropped from the lead and then ended up in the turn four tires, knocking him from a podium position to 11th.

Numbers to Remember:

7.428: Average finish in 2020, third best in IndyCar.

1: Retirement in 2020, down from seven in 2019.

282: If Herta wins the IndyCar championship this season, he would become the youngest champion by 282 days.

Predictions/Goals:

After winning two races and finishing seventh in the championship as a rookie and winning one race and finishing third in the championship as a sophomore, little room remains for improvement in Herta's third season. With only first and second remaining, 2021 does have a tinge of championship or bust. That is a very narrow window for success. 

If Herta combines the best parts of his rookie season and sophomore season in year three, he could pull off a championship. It is asking a lot to expect a 21-year-old will win a championship. 

For all of Herta's outstanding accomplishments, he does have areas he has to clean up. Too many times Herta has had the fourth or fifth-best car and only finished fourth or fifth. Champions take a car in that range and win a race or finishes second. Top five finishes are great, but not good enough when Scott Dixon opens a season with three consecutive victories and Josef Newgarden doesn't put a wheel wrong either.

We saw Herta pull the car up a few positions last year, but we also saw days that looked good before sliding back. That's what happened in the first Harvest Grand Prix race, falling off the podium in the closing laps, but the next day he pushed Will Power to the limit after Power had led every lap up to that point. 

If everything goes right, Herta can win a championship. I am not sure that will happen in 2021. I expect him to be between third and seventh, which is still great for a 21-year-old in year three of his career. I expect he will win once or twice, but I am not sure if the killer instinct will be there along with a car that can go from fifth to first. He will also have fierce competition within the Andretti Autosport organization. I cannot say for certain he will be the top Andretti driver; therefore, a championship will be just out of his grasp. 

What does Herta need to do in 2021?

Win at least two races. 

Finish between third and seventh in the championship again. 

Be the top Andretti Autosport driver.

Get at least five podium finishes. 

Alexander Rossi - #27 NAPA Auto Parts/AutoNation Honda

Electrical gremlins kept Rossi from rolling off from eighth on the grid at the Texas season opener and because he received assistance on the grid, he had to serve a penalty immediately. This knocked him off the lead lap and a penalty for speeding on pit lane while serving his first penalty knocked him two laps down. The race was over before it had begun, and he had to settle for 15th. 

The problems continued. He lost fuel pressure while in the top ten at the Grand Prix of Indianapolis and he had multiple instances of contact and off-road excursions in the first Road America race. He got off the snide in the second Road America race, driving from tenth to third. The momentum continued at Iowa with finishes of sixth and eighth. The eighth came after starting 21st.

Rossi returned to Indianapolis, a place he has mastered in a way, and again he was one of the best drivers in the Indianapolis 500. He found himself running with Scott Dixon for the lead, but Rossi paced himself. It was all ruined when he made contact with Takuma Sato in the pit lane. While Sato suffered no damage, Rossi was handed a penalty and sent to the back. He could not charge through the field and he ended up in the turn two wall, out of the race after 143 laps. 

It got worse at Gateway, being run over from behind before the start and being handed another last place finish. All he could do in the second race was finish 14th.

With the championship out of reach, Rossi went on a tear with finishes of third, second, second and third between the doubleheaders at Mid-Ohio and the Harvest Grand Prix. He dominated St. Petersburg from second on the grid and he was lining up to end his season with a victory. However, while negotiating lapped traffic, Rossi got into the marbles and hit the barrier exiting turn three, knocking him out of the race after leading 61 of the first 69 laps.

Numbers to Remember:

12.1: Average finish in 2020, the worst of his IndyCar career.

4: Retirements in 2020, the most in a single season of his career.

3: Races led in 2020, tied for the fewest led in a single season of his career.

5: Podium finishes in 2020, tied for third-most in IndyCar behind only Scott Dixon and Josef Newgarden, and tied with Will Power.

Predictions/Goals:

Rossi will see an improvement over his 2020 season. The entire Andretti Autosport organization was slow out of the gates last year. Rossi overcame it and was on fire at the end of the season. Unfortunately, victory was not in the cards and his toughest defeat happened to be the last race of the season, where he dominated before spinning out of the lead. 

Last year, and even the end of 2019, was concerning. He did not lead a lap for 13 consecutive races. He had only three podium finishes and four top five finishes in that span. Four consecutive podium finishes and a victory that slipped away from him has him heading into 2021 in the right direction, but we are going to need him to start on a high note. 

Similar to Herta, Rossi in his best form is a championship contender and because we have twice seen Rossi go to the finale with a chance of leaving with the Astor Cup, none of us would be surprised if he pulled out a championship. He has won on the big ovals of Indianapolis and Pocono. He has won the streets of Long Beach. He has won on America's finest road courses of Road America, Watkins Glen and Mid-Ohio. No place on the 2021 schedule should catch him out, though he struggles at Barber. 

There could be races where it is between him and Herta. Two Andretti drivers could take points off one another and allow a Penske driver or Dixon through. These two should make Andretti a powerhouse. Andretti hasn't had a great one-two combo. Rossi and Hunter-Reay have been suitable, but Rossi might have come just after the highest point of Hunter-Reay's prime. Herta and Rossi both could win three or four races. If they did that, one of them is likely champion and the other is no worse than third.  

I think Rossi will top Herta this year in the championship. This is shaping up to be the bounce back season that could define Rossi's career. Three to five victories, podiums in close to half the races and another shot at a championship, this time at a Long Beach finale.

What does Rossi need to do in 2021?

Be alive for the championship in the finale.

Lower his average finish by at least 4.5 positions from the year before. 

Complete at least 98% of the laps. 

Win a race from a starting position outside the top five.

Ryan Hunter-Reay - #28 DHL Honda

Hunter-Reay was one of three Honda drivers kneecapped due to electrical issues on the grid at Texas. He was knocked out of fourth position to a lap down. Fortunately, he cycled back to the lead lap and was able to climb to eighth despite the difficult conditions at Texas for overtaking. 

He had a ho-hum Grand Prix of Indianapolis and spent much of the first Road America race in the top five. He was fighting with Álex Palou for a podium spot but came out in fourth. He started fourth for the second race at Elkhart Lake, but contact with Will Power before reaching turn out took him out. This led a slump and he spun in both Iowa races exiting pit lane. The first time, it only cost him time and he finished three laps down in 16th. The second time, he hit the interior wall and it ended his race. 

He found his legs at Indianapolis, finishing tenth but not being a front-runner in the "500." It was the start of a rebound for him. He finished seventh and 11th at Gateway and was fifth and third in the Mid-Ohio races, rounding out the Andretti podium sweep in the second race. 

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course is not Hunter-Reay's cup of tea. Finishes of 19th and 16th in the Harvest Grand Prix supports that prior statement. Qualifying 19th at St. Petersburg suggested Hunter-Reay would end 2020 on a down note, but he went from 19th to fifth, the top Andretti finisher despite the team having occupied the top three spots in most of the race and at no point was Hunter-Reay one of those three drivers.

Numbers to Remember:

4: Laps led in 2020, Hunter-Reay's fewest since zero in 2009.

31: Starts since his last victory.

0: Laps led on road/street courses in the last two seasons.

3: Consecutive seasons averaging a starting position below 10.0. Prior to this three-year stretch, he had only averaged a starting position below 10.0 in three of 14 seasons as a regular IndyCar competitor.

Predictions/Goals:

Hunter-Reay is 40 years old and we cannot ignore he has been slipping for the last five years. The 2018 season is looking like an aberration. He has not won a race in four of the last five years. His average championship finish is still 8.6 since 2015. 

There are still good days, but they are not happening at a championship-level. He had one podium finish last year and two the year before that. In four of the last five seasons, his best finish is third. It's good, but it is not good enough. He led only four laps last year. He has led in only two of the last 31 races.

I am not sure he can turn it around, but he's not far off being great. He averaged a starting position of eighth last year. His average finish of 11.5 is respectable. It leaves room for improvement, but it is better than most. The problem is Hunter-Reay is teetering on falling into the back half of the field. 

No career lasts forever. I have hope he will still have those good days, finish on the podium a few times, have a handful of top five finishes and have a race where he is a contender for a victory. I feel like Hunter-Reay has plateaued and the fight is no longer going to be for a championship or a top five championship finish, but rather a scrap for tenth and there are nine guys also thinking they are good enough for tenth. That is a fight you are bound to end up on the wrong side of after a while. 

What does Hunter-Reay need to do in 2021?

Finish in the top ten on all the ovals.

Get a top ten in one of the two IMS road course races.

Lead at least 100 laps spread across at least five races with at least one of those races having him lead at least 45 laps.

Stay in the top ten of the championship. 

James Hinchcliffe - #29 Genesys Honda

After losing his full-time ride at Arrow McLaren SP late in the offseason prior to the 2020 season, Hinchcliffe pieced together a part-time effort with Andretti Autosport, signed on for the first two Indianapolis races and Texas. 

Texas was an uncompetitive night in 18th, but Hinchcliffe picked up the pace at the Grand Prix of Indianapolis and finished 11th. Hinchcliffe had one of his best Indianapolis 500s, qualifying sixth and running much of the race in the top ten. He ended up the best Andretti Autosport finisher in seventh.

When Zach Veach stepped out of the #26 Gainbridge Honda after Mid-Ohio, Hinchcliffe filled in for the final three races. His Harvest Grand Prix was underwhelming, with finishes of 14th and 13th, but he qualified fourth for St. Petersburg and was a part of a three-car Andretti Autosport pack that saw Rossi leading, Herta in second and Hinchcliffe in third. 

However, the St. Petersburg race unraveled in the final quarter. Rossi got into the barrier and under that caution, Hinchcliffe spun on his own in the final corner. Hinchcliffe made contact with Jack Harvey when trying to get his car righted doing more damage than his initial spin had caused. Gone was the podium finish and Hinchcliffe ended the year in 14th.

Numbers to Remember:

10: Consecutive seasons with at least one lap led. Hinchcliffe has led a lap in every season of his IndyCar career.

13.4: Average championship finish.

11: Average championship finish when you remove his two part-time seasons, both of which he finished 23rd in the championship.

Predictions/Goals:

I think we are on the verge of accepting Hinchcliffe is just a good driver. There is nothing wrong with being a good driver. He is 34 years old. His best championship finish is eighth. That came in 2012 and 2013. He has had more than three podium finishes in a season only once. He has one pole position, his 2016 Indianapolis 500 pole position. He has one season where he won multiple races. That was 2013. 

He is kind of this generation's Christian Fittipaldi, capable a of solid days, capable of a victory now and then, but it never meshes together in a full season. 

Hinchcliffe ran six races last year, his best was the Indianapolis 500, he coughed up a podium finish in St. Petersburg and he looked pedestrian in his other starts. Pedestrian isn't a bad thing when part-time. 

But he isn't better than Alexander Rossi, he isn't better than Colton Herta and he might not be better than Ryan Hunter-Reay. If I think Hunter-Reay is going to be clawing just to finish in the top ten of the championship, how can I think Hinchcliffe will do any better? I expect him to be in the same fight. A few races might go his way. He could win one, but I don't see him being spectacular with a half-dozen podium finish, top five finishes in half the races and finish a dozen times in the top ten. 

The more realistic season is one or two podium finishes, three or four top five finishes, eight to ten top ten finishes and somewhere between eighth and 12th in the championship for another season. 

What does Hinchcliffe need to do in 2021?

Not finish fourth amongst the Andretti cars in the championship. 

Have at least two top five finishes on road courses.

Be the top Andretti finisher in at least four races.

Marco Andretti - #98 U.S. Concrete Honda

The worst season of Andretti's career actually started on a good note. He was competitive in the Texas season opener. He was running in the top ten, but what hurt him were fumbled pit stops. He lost positions every time he came to pit lane and that dropped him to 14th. 

Good days were hard to come by after that. Despite being in the top ten during practice for the Grand Prix of Indianapolis, Andretti qualified 25th and finished 22nd. He started tenth for the first Road America race and then lost power 16 laps before the finish. He was 19th the next day. His clutch failed in the first Iowa race and he had to scrap to get tenth in the second Iowa race. 

Indianapolis was set to be a turning point. Andretti was running with his teammates at the top of the practice sheets. When it came time for qualifying Andretti had the fastest car. He was the final car out in the Fast Nine session and won pole position with a four-lap average 231.068 mph.

Momentum was behind Andretti until the green flag waved for the 104th Indianapolis 500. Once the race began, Andretti slid backward. There would be no fairy tale story. It wasn't a bad race, but after winning the pole position and earning the hype, finishing 13th with no laps led felt like a massive letdown. 

His best finish over the final seven races was 15th at Gateway. That was despite starting in the top ten twice and fifth in the first Harvest Grand Prix race. Twice he was taken out of races and an engine failure was not a fitting end to that first Harvest Grand Prix. 

 

Andretti was set to end the season on a good note. He drove into the top ten at St. Petersburg and looked confident. Then he got hit him from behind and his season ended 26 laps early.

Numbers to Remember:

7: Finishes outside the top twenty in 2020.

19.285: Average finish position in 2020, the worst of his career.

4.785: Positions worse his 2020 average finish was compared to his previous worst, 14.5 in 2012.

8.8: Average championship finish in Andretti's first ten seasons.

14.6 Average championship finish in Andretti's last five seasons.

Predictions/Goals:

There are no expectations for Andretti's part-time campaign. Mostly because we don't know how many races outside of Indianapolis he will attempt, but also because there is a good chance whatever he accomplishes will be better than his 2020 season. 

Andretti's career continues to be perplexing. He can be in the top ten of every practice and then qualify 18th and can only get to 15th. He is an oval sleeper and then he is bringing up the rear. He is fifth in the championship with at least two victories slipping away from him, a top ten championship regular for the first two-thirds of his career and for the next third he is regularly outside the top fifteen. 

He qualified on pole position for the Indianapolis 500 at over 231 mph and then couldn't stay in the top ten in the race. 

People love tearing Andretti apart, yet they do not listen to respect he has gotten from his peers. 

There is a fair description for Andretti's career, somewhere between saying he is not good enough to be champion and casting him as the worst driver in series history. He is a competent driver. He doesn't tear up equipment. He has never been a liability on track. Why the last five seasons have been so frustrating are a mystery. 

I hope that in however many races Andretti runs in 2021, he has balanced results. I don't want to see him bouncing from sixth in practice to 19th in the race. I want him to practice and qualifying 12th and then finish tenth. I want him to find a groove and be happy. 

I want him to run more than Indianapolis. Every track discipline has been giving him troubles. Ovals aren't his specialty. His last top five on an oval was third at Fontana in 2015. He has only six top ten finishes on ovals since the start of 2016 and three of those (the last three coincidentally) are tenth-place finishes.

My hope is he runs Indianapolis and then runs three or four more races. I hope he finds that spark and he is able to return full-time in 2022. If that doesn't happen, then I want Andretti to be able to move on and find success down that next road. It could be a different form of motorsports with a yearly one-off entry for the Indianapolis 500, or maybe that success comes in a different walk of life.  

His happiness is more important than however any spectators feels about him.

The 2021 NTT IndyCar Series season will begin on April 18 at Barber Motorsports Park. NBC will have coverage of the season opener.