Barrichello labels first IndyCar oval test at Texas a 'truly awesome' experience
Rubens Barrichello described his first IndyCar oval test at Texas Motor Speedway as 'truly awesome'
The Brazilian said he was able to feel comfortable running on the 24-degree banking at the 1.5-mile circuit, and that the main challenge was not getting flat but maintaining his line and vision at over 200mph.
"It's different from anything I've tried," Barrichello said. "On my second run, after I broke the 200s, I was so excited. It was truly awesome.
"I've been to places in Formula 1 that you have to have the courage to take it flat to gain a hundreth [of a second]. Here, it wasn't the case of getting flat because it's not that difficult, but it's keeping the line and the vision on it.
"I'm truly excited, but my mind is still processing everything from the time on the track. I am comfortable running, but I just need another 5,000 days to get it to the level of [2004 IndyCar champion and friend] Tony [Kanaan]."
Barrichello said his main challenge was learning to run in traffic and use more than one lane, but said the excitement of learning to adapt was precisely why he had moved into IndyCar.
"I told the officials to let everyone running close to me give a margin because I'm still not so comfortable running just one lane; maybe one and a half lanes," he explained.
"I'm not totally at peace with the car. I'm driving okay, but I'm not driving my best just yet because I'm not familiar with everything just yet."
"I'm definitely a newcomer and it's an exciting challenge. [If it wasn't] I would have stayed home. I truly love this."
Dreyer & Reinbold Racing forms 'strategic partnership' with Panther Racing, gets Chevrolet engine deal
Dixon fastest in latest IndyCar oval test at Texas
Castroneves: “Too early” to think about potential replacement by Blomqvist
Four-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves says it’s too soon to consider Meyer Shank Racing might want to swap him to the IMSA squad and bring Tom Blomqvist over to IndyCar.
Why some DTM teams take out crash insurance but others gamble
The 2022 DTM season featured several major pile-ups and accidents, costing teams several hundred thousands in repair costs. While some had insured cars against such damage, others weren’t so well prepared…
Ricciardo: Australian GP buzz will tell me a lot about F1 comeback
Red Bull third driver Daniel Ricciardo says attending his home grand prix in Melbourne will likely tell him whether he wants to make a full-time comeback to Formula 1 or not.
Kirkwood admits he overdrove as an IndyCar rookie
Kyle Kirkwood admits he was overdriving at AJ Foyt Racing in 2022 and is expecting to rebuild his reputation at Andretti Autosport.
Nigel Mansell’s greatest F1 and Indycar drives
It’s 30 years since Mansell won the Formula 1 world title and then headed off to do battle in America. Here are his best races – and the Briton’s memories of them
How Ericsson achieved Indy immortality as Ganassi's main man stumbled
Chip Ganassi Racing team was strong again in the Indianapolis 500, with poleman Scott Dixon and reigning champion Alex Palou leading almost three quarters of the race between them. But when dominator Dixon was penalised for pitlane speeding, ex-Formula 1 driver Marcus Ericsson stepped up to score the biggest win of his career and seize the IndyCar points lead
Ranking the top 10 IndyCar drivers of 2021
In an enthralling 2021 IndyCar campaign, the series bounced back from its COVID-19 truncated year prior and Alex Palou defeated both the established order and his fellow young guns to clinch a maiden title. It capped a remarkable season with plenty of standout performers
How F1's other IndyCar exile finally unlocked his potential
Romain Grosjean's swashbuckling rookie year in IndyCar captured the imagination of many in 2021. But another ex-Formula 1 driver whose potential was masked by five years of toil in, at best, middling machinery also enjoyed a breakout year in 2021 - winning twice and finishing sixth in points. Here's how Marcus Ericsson finally delivered on his promise
How Ganassi's relentless new champion outfoxed IndyCar's best
IndyCar sophomore Alex Palou stunned by overcoming team-mate Scott Dixon and the rest of a white-hot field in 2021. He was consistently fast and crucially showed a level head, rebounding well from setbacks to put himself in a near unassailable position entering the final round
Have Harvey and RLL formed IndyCar’s next winning match-up?
Despite appearing to have an IndyCar job for life with Meyer Shank Racing, Jack Harvey’s departure and move to Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing sparked plenty of debate. However, Harvey's and RLL's combined strengths could prove to be a winning combination - if they get the balance right
Remembering Dan Wheldon and his last and most amazing IndyCar win
Saturday 16 October marks the 10th anniversary of Dan Wheldon’s death. David Malsher-Lopez pays tribute, then asks Wheldon’s race engineer from 2011, Todd Malloy, to recall that magical second victory at the Indianapolis 500
Why Kyle Kirkwood is America's new IndyCar ace-in-waiting
Kyle Kirkwood, the record-setting junior formula driver, sealed the Indy Lights championship last weekend. But despite an absurdly strong junior career and scholarship money, his next move is far from clear
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.