Juan Pablo Montoya would prove talent in IndyCar return - Ganassi
Juan Pablo Montoya could prove in IndyCar that he has lost none of his talent, reckons Chip Ganassi Racing general manager Mike Hull
The Colombian has been linked to a return to single-seater racing following the news that he will not be part of Ganassi's NASCAR plans beyond this season.
The Colombian spent his Champ Car career as part of Ganassi's line-up, and retains links with its IndyCar team via the Daytona 24 Hours, for which Ganassi deploys IndyCar personnel to run the cars.
Andretti Autosport has already confirmed that it has made contact with Montoya about 2014, and while Hull made no suggestion that Montoya is in the frame to rejoin his team, he believes that he would be an asset to the series as a whole.
"I think it would be great for our series to have him, and personally I have a lot of time for Juan because I know what he's done and what he is capable of doing in the future as a race driver," Hull told AUTOSPORT.
"We've been very fortunate on the IndyCar side because our IndyCar guys have run Juan as part of the 24-hour race for the last few years.
"He'd be good in an IndyCar, and watching him up close and personal, he's as good as he ever was when he drove an open-wheeler for us the first time."
While he has no concerns about Montoya's ability to be competitive in an IndyCar, Hull does believe that there is a risk that IndyCar would fail to capitalise on his presence.
"I would hope that if Juan has the opportunity to drive an IndyCar again, the people in place are able to help the series by having him in it," he said.
"Quite frankly there is no reason to have people like Juan driving in this series if we can't improve the brand of the series through having him here.
"I think we're missing opportunities with several of the drivers who are in the series now.
"We had a guy [Ryan Hunter-Reay] who has enormous talent who happens to be American win the series [last year], and we need to get to the point where he walks into a restaurant and somebody recognises him. He is the package."
MONTOYA IN CHAMP CAR
Reigning Formula 3000 champion and already under contract to the Williams Formula 1 team, Montoya was a very hot property when he was loaned to Ganassi's Champ Car team by Williams for 1999 and 2000.
He duly won the championship in his first season, his tally of seven race victories clinching the title in a tie-break with Dario Franchitti.
Ganassi's switch from Honda to Toyota power took time to pay off in the following season and Montoya could only manage ninth in the championship, although he won three races between issues.
But his greatest success that season was to win the Indianapolis 500 at the first attempt, as Ganassi became the first Champ Car team to tackle the then-Indy Racing League's showpiece since the American single-seater split.
IndyCar stands by Scott Dixon's controversial Sonoma pit penalty
Indianapolis 500 winners sceptical over IndyCar road course plan
Title-winning Newman/Haas Indycars to be auctioned
Indycars raced by Mario Andretti, Michael Andretti, Nigel Mansell and Sebastien Bourdais are among artefacts of the legendary Newman/Haas Racing team to be auctioned by RM Sotheby's in October.
Ganassi will support Palou’s IndyCar title bid despite contract dispute
Chip Ganassi Racing won’t waver in its support of Alex Palou’s IndyCar title defence, despite being locked in a legal dispute with the Spaniard who intends to join McLaren.
Why the 2022 IndyCar title fight is Penske vs Ganassi yet again
There have been wins, poles and promise from others, but the 2022 IndyCar Series championship battle has distilled down to a fight between old rivals Team Penske and Chip Ganassi Racing once more. A principal from each explains what has elevated their teams beyond other rivals ahead of the final three races
Nashville IndyCar winner Dixon feared race was ruined by shunt
Scott Dixon was convinced that car damage had ended his victory hopes at IndyCar's Nashville round, before working his way to the front to eventually claim his 53rd series win.
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
Why IndyCar title glory is just the start for Ganassi's new star
Newly-crowned IndyCar champion Alex Palou has been lauded as a complete driver and veteran-like in only his second season. The 24-year-old is still in the early days of his career, but the parallels are there for all to see with his six-time champion Chip Ganassi Racing team-mate who has been CGR's team leader since 2014