In the last weeks, Andretti Autosport it has made more headlines for its flirtations with Formula 1 than for its core business at IndyCar, where the competition ended almost a month ago. The team, however, is still looking ahead to 2022 and this week carried out a test at the Sebring short circuit with Kyle Kirkwood and Devlin DeFrancesco, two young drivers from his Indy Lights program who, almost certainly and in the absence of official status, will be part of his plans next year in the main category.
Most of the attention was on Kirkwood’s performance., which earlier this month was proclaimed champion of the Indy Lights in the final round of Mid-Ohio. The Florida rider, who will turn 23 next week, arrives with the vitola of having become the most successful competitor in the history of American promotional formulas, winning all the competitions in which he has participated. Since 2017, Kirkwood has conquered all three Road to Indy categories (US F2000, Indy Pro 2000 and Indy Lights), adding two FIA titles, American Formula 4 and Formula 3 Americas, along the way.
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In the 87 races held in those contests during that period, Kirkwood has won 55, with a whopping 63% win rate. This past year, the American has notched 10 wins at Indy Lights, equaling the record set by the ill-fated Greg Moore in 1995, leaving behind a David Malukas who also has good chances to compete in IndyCar this year. That is why his first test behind the wheel of a Dallara IR18 had generated great expectations, amid the chain of rumors about a seat in 2022 that is still far from being defined.
Not even the rain that kept both participants parked for much of the day reduced their enthusiasm. “The car does everything great, but it wasn’t overwhelming. On my fourth lap I was only nine tenths behind my best time of the day; it was as if when I got into the car, I had the necessary comfort to go fast immediately. That was not a problem, it was incredible to drive, “said Kirkwood, whose best time of the day was 52.49 seconds after a total of 50 laps. “The biggest technological change that I noticed is the development of the shock absorbers that IndyCar has, since the teams have the freedom there to do what they want. The car absorbs everything very well. It’s the best car I’ve driven for a long time.
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Kirkwood carried out his test at the wheel of the # 26 car Colton Herta has driven this year, and that could become his steering wheel if Herta ends up packing his bags for Formula 1. Along with him, the usual voices of # 26 radio, the engineer Nathan O’Rourke and the former driver Bryan Herta, in charge of the strategies. «Bryan has given me the best advice on how to face the test from inside the car. Last night he said to me and Devlin: “I could tell you to calm down to get used to everything, but honestly, we don’t want you to have to waste time going slow. So Get out there and ride hard from the start. That is what we expect from you “. That was perfect advice.
For its part, DeFrancesco was just over three tenths of Kirkwood on his best lap (52.85 seconds). The 21-year-old Canadian, a regular in European promotion formulas between 2016 and 2019 until entering the Road to Indy, has finished sixth in his first Indy Lights season, where his two first-round podiums were the only ones of the year. However, its significant financial support has placed it as Top favorite to replace James Hinchcliffe in car # 29, the same one that drove in the test under the baton of engineer Ray Gosselin.
“It was super nice to drive. With the carbon brakes, you can attack the braking very aggressively. It is a super sophisticated car in everything about anything I’ve ever ridden, ”said DeFrancesco, whose greatest achievements have been his 3rd place finish at the 2017 EuroFormula Open and his Indy Pro 2000 runner-up last year. “I think Indy Lights is good practice because, in many ways, it is a more difficult car to drive than an Indy car. The subsequent feeling is one of great happiness. Everything has lived up to my expectations, and there is much to learn and assimilate. I’m just full of motivation to keep moving forward and improving. There are things that went very well, and things we have to work on ».
Kirkwood and DeFrancesco They will get back into an Indy car on October 25 at Barber, in a private test in which Andretti Autosport will have five cars. In them you can see the most likely formation of the team for the next season, with Colton Herta at # 26, Alexander Rossi at # 27, the newcomer Romain Grosjean at # 28 and Devlin DeFrancesco at # 29, while that Kirkwood will pilot a # 25 for which Michael Andretti is looking for resources to line him up full time next season. If this does not work, and if Herta stays permanently, the option of collaborating with another team through a kind of ‘loan’ would be the only way out to prevent Kirkwood from contesting only the three races (including the Indianapolis 500) that he guarantees. his $ 1.25 million scholarship.