Video: Wickens says he's ready for oval racing challenge ahead
Robert Wickens is set for his first IndyCar oval race and on the latest episode of Motorsport.tv’s The Flying Lap he explains how the Phoenix open test has prepared him.
Photo by: Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Images
Wickens, who previously admitted to nerves ahead of his first oval running, switched to IndyCar for the 2018 season after Mercedes committed to a DTM exit at the end of this year. Having abandoned the IndyCar career ladder to attempt to reach Formula 1 early in his career, Wickens had missed out on America’s unique single-seater oval racing.
He then almost won on his IndyCar debut at St Petersburg before a late crash with Alexander Rossi ruined his day, but Wickens says he is now prepared for the next race at Phoenix because of his oval test.
Watch the video interview...
“I did my first oval test back in Phoenix in the IndyCar open test and I liked it more than I was expecting,” he said. “Running in the pack was a little bit frustrating because it's effectively two high-speed corners in an aero-dependent car.
“It was hard to set up a move and all of that stuff. With the slipstreaming and Phoenix being such a short track, you have to set up a pass like five laps before.”
In a wide-ranging interview with host Peter Windsor, Wickens also discusses his impressive IndyCar debut and why 2018 is the right time to join the series.
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