Hawksworth ready for a challenge

Jack Hawksworth led the most laps in last year’s Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis while driving for Bryan Herta Autosport, but unfortunately, his seventh place finish did not properly reflect his effort.

Anything can happen in terms of strategy, all you need is the yellows and stuff and the thing can turn into a completely different ball game

Jack Hawksworth

This year, he’s got a new team in AJ Foyt Racing, he’s got a new teammate in Takuma Sato, the highest starting Honda in 11th position as Chevrolet locked out the top ten grid positions.

'Anything can happen'

However, Hawksworth is upbeat about his prospects for the race and what it’ll take to get into the top ten, or maybe even break into the top five.

“Anything can happen in terms of strategy, all you need is the yellows and stuff and the thing can turn into a completely different ball game in terms of how many stops you’re making. We need to be quick in the first stint or reasonably just consistent, hopefully make up a position or two and then we just need to have a clean stops, a good run all the way through and try to be quick,” Hawksworth told Motorsport.com.

New team means new opportunity

As for the differences this year to last, they are staggering for Hawksworth.

“It’s a completely different environment, it’s a completely new team we’re putting together alongside the 14 car together with the No. 41. We’ve got a lot of work to do and it’s an exciting challenge, but we’re enjoying it and it’s a very different situation to last year but one that I’m looking forward to building,” Hawksworth said.

Where is Honda losing out?

That challenge has only been increased with Honda's performance woes this season, but Hawksworth can at least identify a weakness for Honda’s performances.

“It’s difficult to say, maybe a little bit of [aero] efficiency, this track’s not particularly been great for our package but I think that there’s things as a team and all together that we can do better so we’ll just concentrate on ourselves and try to do the best job that we can,” explained the English driver.

And if there’s rain, there’s only one strategy for Hawksworth.

“Go like the wind and see what we can do!”