The new aero kits to be used by all the teams for the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series have been out in force at Barber Motorsports Park as pre-season testing got well underway.
The test, which was held on March 16 & 17 at the Alabama circuit, was the first time the majority of the field could compare their new aero packages against their rivals and see how they compared.
Scott Dixon, who will be racing for Target Chip Ganassi Racing in 2015, said: “I think both cars (Chevrolet and Honda) are very different, which for the fans and series will be exciting. Honestly, I don’t care what it looks like as long as it is fast.
“It’s been a significant change in drivability or how to attack the car with all the downforce. We’re working with balance issues, weight distributions and just trying to feel out some of the changes with the aero kit and the loads changing significantly with the corner speeds.”
With the first race now less than two weeks away, it isn’t just the Ganassi team that are looking for the right set up on the Dallara DW12s which have not seen any development on this scale since they were introduced. Also working on his performance in the car is Ryan Hunter-Reay.
He said: “It’s almost like you’re starting with a new car. To make the DW12 kit work in its format, you had to make it turn and do things a certain way. Now the aero kit puts load on the car in its own way.
“It’s a work in progress, which is what testing and development is about. We have another day here at Barber and testing next week at Sebring, but you feel when you’re in the car that every lap is critical because you’re one step closer to the season beginning. Once the season starts, there’s no more testing. We have a lot of bits to work out.”
The first time to see if they have all got it right will be on March 29 when the IndyCar Series hits St Petersburg for the first round of the season.
