Verizon IndyCar Series driver Tony Kanaan has today admitted that he is “disappointed” with his performances whilst driving for Chip Ganassi Racing. Kanaan, who raced for Ganassi for four years, will race with AJ Foyt Enterprises in the 2018 Verizon IndyCar Series.
On reflection during an interview with Motorsport.com, Kanaan was disappointed with the outcome of his sixty-seven races for Ganassi. Just one race win came during the four-year period, with the victory coming in the 2014 season-finale at the Auto Club Speedway. Just eleven other podiums accompanied the sole race win, a far cry from what the 2004 series champion is used to. By contrast, whilst Kanaan was at Ganassi racing, team-mate Scott Dixon took the 2015 championship victory as well as eight race wins and a further eleven podiums during the four year period.
“Sometimes you just have to accept that things are not working out,” Kanaan told Motorsport.com. “I was part of a great organisation at Ganassi. I only have good things to say about them, but sometimes it doesn’t work.
“I have learned through experience that sometimes you’re in the best team with the best people but that doesn’t mean you can perform at your best. For some reason, that was the case. Obviously, I’m a little bit disappointed with the way I performed there, and then I thought I needed something else to motivate myself.
“Building a structure around me with the people that I know, I thought was extremely interesting and Larry [Foyt, team president of Foyt Racing, Kanaan’s new team] completely accepted that. It’s quite obvious I don’t have 10 years on me so if I can help build this team and actually make it work for somebody to take it over after I leave, that’ll be something extremely gratifying for me.”
It was announced in early October that the downsizing of Chip Ganassi Racing from three to two cars would see Kanaan move to A.J. Foyt Enterprises. Tony will partner rookie and fellow Brazilian driver Matheus Leist.
“We’ve talked to Tony for the last couple of years and I’m just glad we were able to put something together because I know he wants to win as bad as we do.” said team-owner Foyt,“I think he still has two or three good years in him. He’s always been a hard charger and I like somebody who wants to charge hard.”
Kanaan’s bid to snap his current forty-nine race winless streak begins starting with the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St Petersburg on March 11.
