Pagenaud uncertain of Penske dominance, expects Ganassi challenge

Some drivers and team members have theorized that with no development allowed on the manufacturer aerokits for 2017, Penske will retain its advantage that saw the team take 11 pole positions and 10 wins last season. However, Pagenaud believes the freeze may allow rival teams to draw closer.

He commented: “I think it gives a bit of consistency to everybody in trying to understand the aero kit better. The aero world is still not fully understood, so there's always something to learn for everybody. So I do think it's a way for the other teams to catch up.”

However, Pagenaud, who will switch from the #22 to #1 this season to mark his reign as champion,  pointed out that Team Penske has not stood still over the offseason.

“We've also, I believe, kept improving during the winter because of the hard work of everybody on the race team. I expect us to be very competitive, like we were last year.

“I also expect other teams to turn things around, maybe like Andretti Autosport. I expect them to turn things around.”

Regarding Penske’s traditional arch-rivals, Chip Ganassi Racing, the 2016 champion is expecting the team’s return to Honda to reap benefits.

“I think especially Scott Dixon is going to be really strong,” he said. “He's shown in Sebring that they’re going to be there. I expect Scott to be fighting for the championship.

“And Tony [Kanaan] is, I'm sure, going to be very, very strong on the oval with this package. In Indy I think they're going to have a really strong package. I do think they're going to be a great challenge.”