Wheldon backs Honda
British IRL IndyCar Series star Dan Wheldon believe that he can win the championship this year because engine supplier Honda will make a massive push in a bid to grasp the title off bitter rival Toyota
The Andretti Green Racing driver is set to follow the lead of team-mate Tony Kanaan and adopt a consistent approach this season in his efforts to claim the crown.
"Honda are certainly going to be pushing really hard to turn over Toyota's championship win," said Wheldon on stage at AUTOSPORT International. "There's a huge rivalry between Honda and Toyota. To be honest, I didn't really understand how big it was until I raced in Motegi in Japan. We certainly feel that Honda can fight back, and we have no doubt they'll be very strong this year, as will the team."
Asked if he could challenge for the title this season Wheldon said: "Yeah, I think so. The main thing with the IRL is that the way the points system works you can't afford to not finish. I've got to make sure that when I don't have the car to win that I keep racking up those top five finishes and then win when you possibly can.
"Tony Kanaan was a good example. He only won one race but he was in the championship hunt - and leading the championship - right up until the last minute. But remember that last year was only the team's first season in the IRL, and that this year is going to my first full season as well. I think everything's in place to go well. We've looked really strong in testing and I'm looking forward to it."
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