Newgarden: Herta “seems like the top gun” at Andretti
Josef Newgarden says he’s expecting St. Petersburg winner Colton Herta to be Andretti Autosport’s main contender for the championship.

Team Penske-Chevrolet’s two-time champion was beaten by Herta in the second round of the 2021 NTT IndyCar Series, despite a strong effort to displace him following the two restarts in the final stint.
Newgarden cautioned against ignoring his 2019 title rival Alexander Rossi, but believes Herta has gained preeminence in the Andretti Autosport-Honda squad which also contains Ryan Hunter-Reay and James Hinchcliffe.
He stated: “I don't want to discount someone like Rossi… I think Alex is certainly capable of being in that mix every weekend, so I think it would be unwise to discount him. But I think Herta is without a doubt their… to me he seems like the top gun over there.
“He's still so young right now, so he's got a lot of runway, pretty level-headed, has a great crew around him. I know his engineer [Nathan O’Rourke]; he was my first engineer.
“He's got a great team around him, seems to work well with his dad [Bryan Herta is Colton’s strategist]. I was watching his dad this weekend and how proud he was of him when he was getting in the car, and they just seem like they have good chemistry.
“Yeah, I think they'll be in the mix without a doubt all year. But like I said, I wouldn't discount some of the other boys over at Andretti. I think they have some other capable drivers, too, and not just Herta.”

Josef Newgarden Team Penske Chevrolet
Photo by: Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Images
Newgarden’s team-mate Simon Pagenaud concurred with his assessment of Herta’s potential, but believes there are similarly talented drivers likely to gain more prominence in the near future.
“I think he's fantastic, he's a great driver,” said Pagenaud of the 21-year-old who now has four IndyCar wins and five pole positions to his name. “He's really young, so he's got a lot of room to improve still, which is impressive.
Read Also:
“But I see a lot of young guys coming up and having just as much talent and potential in the future, being championship contenders, as well.
“The series is at its highest level right now. It's just incredible to see the talents and the personalities, as well. Yeah, look forward to the future.”
Related video

Mario Andretti: America would “go crazy” over Herta in F1
Herta: Car did "everything you want" in St. Petersburg IndyCar win

Latest news
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