IndyCar: Dale Coyne Racing 2018 Review

By Oct 2, 2018, 9:00 AM EDT
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Editor’s note: MotorSportsTalk continues to review how each organization in the IndyCar Series performed in 2018 and also takes a look ahead to 2019.

Thus far we have featured Juncos Racing, Meyer Shank Racing, Carlin Racing, Harding Racing, AJ Foyt Racing and Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser Sullivan.

Today we feature Dale Coyne Racing. 

Dale Coyne Racing 2018 IndyCar review:

Dale Coyne Racing’s No. 19 Honda featured three drivers in 2018: Pietro Fittipaldi, Zachary Claman De Melo, and Santino Ferrucci. Ferrucci later piloted the No. 39 Honda in the final two races of the season.

A rotation of drivers for Coyne’s team has at times been the norm, though Fittipaldi’s leg injuries forced an increase in the number of drivers in the 2018 lineup – he and Claman De Melo were originally slated to share the ride, and Ferrucci was added after Fittipaldi’s injury.

Still, all three young drivers – Fittipaldi is the oldest at the age of 22 – showed promise in their first IndyCar ventures and all three could return in 2019 in varying capacities.

Pietro Fittipaldi

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Team: Dale Coyne Racing, No. 19 Paysafe Honda
Years in IndyCar: 1
Career wins and podiums: 0 wins, 0 podiums
2018 final standing: 26th
2018 final stats: 6 starts, 0 wins, 0 podiums, 0 top fives, 1 top 10
2018 best race finish: 9th (Portland)

SEASON WRAPUP: Fittipaldi’s year was defined by his comeback from the devastating leg fractures he suffered back in May. Though he planned to run in the Indianapolis 500, he needed to put those plans on hold as he recovered.

He returned to race at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, albeit in a lot of pain, but he did score his first career top 10 at Portland International Raceway in the second-to-last race of the year.

It was a strong way to end a tough first season, though he demonstrated a lot of mettle in coming back so soon from the leg injuries.

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2019: A return to IndyCar is possible, and a full-season is ideal, though that obviously comes down to funding. He also could have his sights set on his Indy 500 debut after missing out in 2018.

QUOTE (following his Mid-Ohio comeback, where he finished 23rd): “Obviously I feel tired. It’s my first race back and it’s a tough one at Mid-Ohio. It’s really physically demanding here. We started the race and we didn’t have that much pace at first in our No. 19 Paysafe car, so we ended up pitting early, and then I had to let the leaders go by, so we lost a lot of time there. That said, I finished the race and that was my goal with my leg still hurting a bit. It’s still healing. I’m sure that by the time we get to our next road course in Portland, we’ll be a lot better and I’ll be back at a 100 percent, but I’m happy I was able to come here and finish the race. Now we can focus on our upcoming tests and our next race.”

 

Zachary Claman De Melo

Photo: IndyCar

Team: Dale Coyne Racing, No. 19 Paysafe Honda
Years in IndyCar: 1
Career wins and podiums: 0 wins, 0 podiums
2018 final standing: 23rd
2018 final stats: 9 starts, 0 wins, 0 podiums, 0 top fives, 0 top 10s
2018 best race finish: 12th (Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course)

SEASON WRAPUP: Though another year in Indy Lights would’ve likely helped his development, Claman De Melo’s debut IndyCar season was a solid one in which he got better at seemingly every event.

He particularly excelled at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, both on the road course (where he finished a season-best 12th) and in the Indy 500, where he qualified a strong 13th on debut. He also was battling inside the top 10 at Texas Motor Speedway before he crashed out with Will Power.

Claman DeMelo is still rough around the edges, but he held a nice account for himself in the nine races in which he ran.

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2019: Assuming he returns in 2019, Claman DeMelo will look to improve on his 2018 effort and battle for top 10s.

QUOTE (following Toronto, his last race of 2018, where he finished 14th): “It was a fun race, we had quite a bit of yellow today and I think that helped us with our pit strategy. I let the race come to us, and I didn’t take any unnecessary chances in my No. 19 Paysafe car. A lot of people had different issues and I stayed out of trouble and it led to a decent finish. It’s been a fun season and I want to thank Dale Coyne Racing and Paysafe for giving me the opportunity to do these nine races with them this year. Now I get to cheer on Pietro (Fittipaldi) when he comes back for the next race.”

 

Santino Ferrucci

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Team: Dale Coyne Racing, No. 19 Paysafe Honda (Detroit); No. 39 Cly-Del Honda (Portland, Sonoma)
Years in IndyCar: 1
Career wins and podiums: 0 wins, 0 podiums
2018 final standing: 23rd
2018 final stats: 4 starts, 0 wins, 0 podiums, 0 top fives, 0 top 10s
2018 best race finish: 11th (Sonoma Raceway)

SEASON WRAPUP: Ferrucci broke into IndyCar at the Detroit double-header, but then found himself in career saving mode after being unceremoniously released from his Formula 2 ride with Trident.

He then contested the final two events of the year, and showed great potential. Most importantly, he kept his nose clean and has begun rebuilding a reputation that took a massive hit after his F2 ousting.

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2019: Wherever Ferrucci lands in 2019, he’ll need to continue rebuilding his career. More efforts like the one he put forth in the final two races, where he showed promising speed and ran a pair of clean races, would go a long way in that front.

QUOTE (following Sonoma, where he finished 11th): “That was probably the most difficult race of my career. I can’t thank my No. 39 Cly-Del crew enough for giving us what was an unbelievable race car. We drove 85 laps with a throttle to fuel system error that not only made us use excessive fuel, but I also had to figure out how to ‘re-drive’ the car using the clutch in the slow corners because the engine wouldn’t idle. The team also did an awesome job with the pit stops, I really wish we got that T\top 10 but this felt like a bit of a win for us today.”

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Will Power says IndyCar field toughest in world: ‘F1’s a joke as far as competition’

By Jun 4, 2023, 1:46 PM EDT
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DETROIT – With the 2023 Formula One season turning into a Red Bull runaway, Will Power believes the NTT IndyCar Series deserves respect as the world’s most difficult single-seater racing series.

“It’s so tough, an amazing field, the toughest field in the world, and people need to know it, especially compared to Formula One,” the defending IndyCar champion told NBC Sports during a media luncheon a few days ahead of Sunday’s Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix. “Formula One’s a joke as far as competition, but not as far as drivers. They have amazing drivers. And I feel sorry for them that they don’t get to experience the satisfaction we do with our racing because that is the top level of open-wheel motorsport.

“I think Formula One would be so much better if they had a formula like IndyCar. I love the technology and the manufacturer side of it. I think that’s awesome. But from a spectator watching, man, how cool would it be if everyone had a Red Bull (car)?”

INDYCAR IN DETROIT: Entry list, schedule, TV info for this weekend

It probably would look a lot different than this season, which has been dominated by two-time defending F1 champion Max Verstappen.

The Dutchman won Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix from the pole position by 24 seconds over seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton. It’s the fifth victory in seven races for Verstappen, whose 40 career wins are one shy of tying late three-time champion Aryton Senna.

Along with being a virtual lock to tie Senna’s mark for titles, Verstappen is poised to break his own record for single-season victories (15) that he set last year.

“You simply know Max is going to win every race if something doesn’t go wrong,” Power said. “Imagine being a guy coming out as a rookie, and you probably could win a race. It would be really cool to see. But you know that would never happen with the politics over there.”

Verstappen’s F1 dominance has been a stark contrast to IndyCar, where Josef Newgarden just became the first repeat winner through six races this season with his Indy 500 victory.

Team Penske (with Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin), Chip Ganassi Racing (with Palou and Marcus Ericsson) and Andretti Autosport (with Kyle Kirkwood) each have visited victory lane in 2023. Arrow McLaren (which has past winners Pato O’Ward, Alexander Rossi and Felix Rosenqvist) is certain to join them at some point.

Meanwhile, Verstappen and teammate Sergio Perez (two wins) have won every F1 race this season with the two Red Bull cars combining to lead more than 95% of the laps.

The primary differences are in the rulesets for each series.

While F1 teams virtually have complete autonomy to build their high-tech cars from scratch, IndyCar has what is known as a spec series in which the cars have a large degree of standardization.

IndyCar teams all use the Dallara DW12 chassis, which is in its 12th season. The development of the car largely has been maximized, helping put a greater emphasis on driver skill as a differentiator (as well as other human resources such as whip-smart strategists and engineers).

Alex Palou, who will start from the pole position at Detroit, harbors F1 aspirations as a McLaren test driver, but the Spaniard prefers IndyCar for competitiveness because talent can be such a determinant in results.

“Racing-wise, that’s the best you can get,” Palou said a few days before winning the pole for the 107th Indy 500 last month. “That’s pure racing, having chances to win each weekend.”

Of course, F1 is the world’s most popular series, and the 2021 IndyCar champion believes its appeal doesn’t necessarily stem from being competitive.

Though the ’21 championship battle between Hamilton and Verstappen was epic, F1 has grown its audience in recent years with the help of the “Drive To Survive” docuseries on Netflix that has showcased their stars’ personalities along with the cutthroat decisions of its team principals (IndyCar started its own docuseries this year).

“I don’t think the beauty of F1 is the race itself,” Palou said. “I’d say the beauty is more the development that they have and everything around the races, and that they go different places. But when we talk about pure spectacle, you cannot get better than (IndyCar).

“You can feel it as a driver here when you first come and jump in a car. When I was in Dale Coyne (Racing), we got a podium my rookie year. It wasn’t the best team, but we were able to achieve one of the best cars at Road America (where he finished third in 2020). It’s not that I was driving a slow car. I was driving a really fast car. I think we can see that across all the teams and the drivers.”

Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin, who will start second at Detroit, is in his third season of IndyCar after winning three championships in Supercars.

The New Zealander said recently that IndyCar has been “the most enjoyment I’ve ever had in my career. I had a lot of fun in Supercars, but there were still things like different uprights, engines, all that stuff. (IndyCar) is spec. Really the only things you can change are dampers and the engine differences between Honda and Chevy.

“I have a blast,” McLaughlin said. “Trying to extract pace and winning in this series is better than I’ve ever felt ever. I’m surprised by how satisfied it feels to win an IndyCar race. It’s better than how it ever has felt in my career. I’ve always liked winning, but it’s so satisfying to win here. That’s why it’s so cool. There are no bad drivers. You have to have a perfect day.”

Qualifying might be the best example of the series’ competitiveness tightness. The spread for the Fast Six final round of qualifying on Detroit’s new nine-turn, 1.645-mile downtown layout was nearly eight 10ths of a second – which qualifies as an eternity these days.

Last month, the GMR Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course produced a spread of 0.2971 seconds from first to sixth – the fourth-closest Fast Six in IndyCar history since the format was adopted in 2008. Three of the seven closest Fast Six fields have happened this season (with the Grand Prix of Long Beach ranking sixth and the Alabama Grand Prix in seventh).

While the technical ingenuity and innovation might be limited when compared to F1, there’s no arguing that more IndyCar drivers and teams have a chance to win.

“The parity’s great, and no one has an advantage, basically,” Power said. “The two engine manufacturers (Honda and Chevrolet) are always flipping back and forth as they develop, but we’re talking like tenths of a second over a lap. There’s not a bad driver in the field, and there are 20 people all capable of being in the Fast Six every week. Maybe more. It’s incredibly competitive. There isn’t a more competitive series in the world. I’m sure of that.

“If you want the ultimate driver’s series, this is it I’m from a big team that would benefit massively from opening the rules up, but I don’t think (IndyCar officials) should. I think this should always be about the team and driver getting the most out of a piece of equipment that everyone has a chance to do so. That’s the ultimate driver series. Who wants to win a championship when you’re just given the best car? It’s just ridiculous.”

Power believes the talented Verstappen still would be the F1 champion if the equipment were spec, but he also thinks there would be more challengers.

“There’s got to be a bunch of those guys that must just be frustrated,” Power said. “Think about Lewis Hamilton, George Russell, Lando Norris, (Fernando) Alonso. Those are some great drivers that don’t get a chance to even win. They’re just extracting the most out of the piece of equipment they have.

“All I can say is if everyone had a Red Bull car, there’s no way that Max would win every race. There are so many guys who would be winning races. It’d just be similar to (IndyCar) and different every week, which it should be that way for the top level of the sport.”