Honda expects IndyCar teams to be more competitive for rest of year

Andretti-Herta driver Alexander Rossi's shock Indy 500 win was the first IndyCar victory for a Honda squad this year.

The Chevrolet teams had dominated the opening rounds, with a second place and two thirds Honda's only podium appearances in the first five races.

Honda Performance Development president Art St Cyr expects the balance of power to change from this weekend's Detroit double-header.

"We basically had a whole new aerodynamic kit this year for the road courses," he said.

"It's taken us a little bit of time to dial in that kit for our teams, to understand that new kit.

"The other side has had a whole year to dial in their's. It's taken us a little while to get our traction.

"But I think the people and the teams are starting to understand how that kit works.

"Combine that with the upgrade in the engine we have here, my belief is we're going to be much more competitive moving forward than we have been in the beginning part of the season."

St Cyr admitted that Honda's deficit in the opening rounds had come as a shock.

"We weren't expecting the outcome of the first few races that we got this year," he said.

"We thought we were going to be OK.

"I wouldn't say the beginning part of the season went according to plan."

Schmidt Peterson driver James Hinchcliffe is Honda's top driver in the points going into the final 10 races in fifth place, 87 adrift of leader Simon Pagenaud.