Juan Pablo Montoya completes first oval test of IndyCar return
Juan Pablo Montoya continued his readjustment to IndyCar at Phoenix on Tuesday when he completed his first oval test since joining Penske
The Colombian, who had his first outing with the team at Sebring last month, took the wheel after an initial shake-down by Helio Castroneves.
He admitted that the cornering speeds took some getting used to after so many years in NASCAR.
"My first impression was when Helio started running," he said. "We did some laps in the road car and I said, 'in NASCAR we brake here and here.'
"He was like, 'No, this is going to be wide open.' I'm like, 'What?'
"In the straight it just goes fast, but you don't really realise how fast it's going until he turns and the thing just snaps into the corner.
"And then you like into [Turns] 3 and 4 and, wow. Your foot never moved.
"For me, the big difference is the entry to the corner. Once you get to the middle of the corner, whatever speed you have, you are committed to.
"You just want to build to it and get comfortable with the feel. I'm still understanding what the car wants and what I want out of the car.
"You forget how fast an open-wheel car is - around 6.0s quicker than a [NASCAR Sprint] Cup car [over] a lap [around Phoenix]."
Montoya will join Castroneves and Will Power for the Chevrolet manufacturer test at Sebring next month, and will run again in the open test scheduled at Barber in mid-March.
The season begins in St Petersburg on March 30.
Previous article
Dario Franchitti's greatest drives
Next article
Chevrolet and Honda to build IndyCar aero kits for 2015
About this article
| Series | IndyCar |
| Drivers | Juan Pablo Montoya |
| Author | Mark Glendenning |
Can Penske redress the balance in IndyCar's battle of the titans?
IndyCar's gold standard teams Ganassi and Penske are set for another slugfest beginning this weekend at Barber Motorsports Park. A poor start to the first season with the new aeroscreen left Josef Newgarden with too much ground to make up on Scott Dixon in the title chase, but his strong end to 2020 suggests a battle royale lies ahead...
The six major IndyCar subplots to follow in 2021
From rookies arriving with big reputations to veterans who still have the fire and an F1-linked squad pushing to join the big leagues, IndyCar has it all this year. Here are six of the key storylines to keep track of
The Indycar season that proves Michael Andretti is better than F1 showed
Often unfairly characterised as a car-breaker, judged for his lack of an Indianapolis 500 win and a disappointing part-season of Formula 1 in 1993, Michael Andretti was highly respected by his rivals and only thwarted greater success by ill-fortune. When it all came together in 1991, he was a truly formidable force
How McLaren is striving towards IndyCar's elite
The second year of McLaren's full-time IndyCar return is looming, with Patricio O'Ward and Felix Rosenqvist leading its line-up. Strong team personnel and work behind the scenes means that 2021 could be the year it joins the established elite
The enigmatic legacy of a misunderstood Indy stalwart
Flashes of brilliance amid spells of obscurity have been too common for Marco Andretti. While the third-generation racer has opted to bring his full-time IndyCar career to a close, his peaks and troughs have never been for want of trying
Why American racing's top dog is without equal
A byword for success in business and in motorsport for over 50 years, Roger Penske's importance to the US scene cannot be understated. In an exclusive interview, the custodian of the IndyCar Series and Indianapolis Motor Speedway reflects on his journey
The McLaren that rendered its Indy rivals obsolete
When founder Bruce McLaren died in June 1970, his team could have folded. Instead, his loyal band rallied to produce a string of winners - including an Indycar game-changer that won its third Indianapolis 500 five years after its debut
Why Newgarden's best IndyCar season yet wasn't enough
Josef Newgarden feels he didn't put a foot wrong in 2020, yet his finest season-long run of performances failed to yield a third series championship. But in a warning shot to Scott Dixon, Team Penske's team leader has vowed to redouble his efforts in 2021
