Scott Dixon told FormulaRapida.net about the role the adaptability of both himself and CGR played in the 2020 IndyCar championship.
In 2008, when street and road courses rose to a higher degree of prevalence on the IndyCar schedule, Dixon won the Astor cup. When yet more change was brought to the series through a simplified aerodynamic package in 2018, the result was the same in the championship fight.
Enter 2020: a year with a pandemic, dramatic social changes, and within IndyCar, a stunted oval-intensive schedule, shortened weekends and an onslaught of doubleheaders, as well as dynamic changes to the cars, all of which now sport heavy, protective aeroscreens.
In 2020, Dixon once more won the championship, further exemplifying his remarkable adaptability – adaptability that he told FormulaRapida.net about in April. The Kiwi also accredited his team with similar assimilation after his 2020 win.
“Whether it’s weather conditions to the situation with the Aeroscreen changing the balance of the car quite a lot, to the different tracks, different tires. It evolves all the time. The hardest part is that we don’t have a lot of testing these days.
“If you look at the races we go to, you maybe get 45 minutes to an hour practice, straight into the qualifying, then into the race,” Dixon told FormulaRapida.net recently, stressing the role of adaptability on both the part of CGR and himself.
“[It has] definitely been one of those years where you need to roll off the track well or adapt very quickly. I think this team is very good at adapting. When you look at the different iterations, whether it’s the engine programs to the aero kits to different chassis and things like that, that’s when this team really does well and dominates.
“I think not just me, but it’s the tools and the people that I have around me that help me specifically with the racing, but the team as a whole I think is very good at adaptation,” Dixon concluded.
Replying not to FormulaRapida.net, but other media members, Dixon – a long time CGR driver – explained that the greatest challenge he was left to navigate by 2020 was the compacted structure of weekends throughout the year.
Nonetheless, Dixon was grateful for his maintenance of health throughout the period. “I think for me, I don’t know, it’s been very strange weekends. Things I think we have done will carry through. I remember going to Texas, we flew 6:00 in the morning. You’re there all day, practice, qualifying, race, fly home at 2:00 in the morning. We were lucky enough to win that race.
“Celebrating in Victory Circle by yourself. So many bizarre ups and downs. I truly feel so lucky to do what I do. I guess health is everything. As long as everybody that you can help or be in a situation to cater to, I think that’s what this is about. That’s what these moments are about,” Dixon said upon reflection.