by Alex Johnston
The 2023 IndyCar season is complete, and there's plenty to talk about so who better to talk about it with than Sky Sports' very own IndyCar commentator, Tom Gaymor? I was delighted to chat with Tom last week about all things IndyCar, from drivers, to the off-season, to the races and more!
Alex Palou took the headlines off and on track as he won the IndyCar crown for the second time amid a contract controversy between McLaren and his current Chip Ganassi Racing team.
📸 Alex Palou celebrates sealing the IndyCar title.
We saw crazy races including the finale at Laguna Seca, a late red flag in the Indy 500 where we saw Josef Newgarden take the title for the first time on victory lane ahead of last year's champion, Marcus Ericsson.
We had 7 different winners with Alex Palou, Kyle Kirkwood, Scott Dixon, Josef Newgarden, Marcus Ericsson, Christian Lundgaard and Scott McLaughlin all taking a winners trophy during the season!
📸 Scott McLaughlin.
Onto my interview with Tom!
1. Let's start with the champion: Aside from contract controversy, how impressed were you with the manner in which he won the title? "His performances and his ability to win races when he was under pressured especially with the contract issue really separated him from the rest. He's a very unique type of driver."
📸 Palou on track.
2. What would you say was his standout moment in the season? "The way in which he bounced back from the Indy 500. He ended up out of the race through no fault of his own and and never looked back at that moment as the season went on".
📸 (To the right), Palou is hit into the wall by Rinus VeeKay in the pits as the Dutchman lost control of his car on cold tyres, ending Palou's race.
3. 7 different race winners, including 5 different ones in the opening 5 races: who’s win was your favourite to watch? "There's so much to unpack from the early season drama! The McLaughlin-Grosjean moment, Ericsson having moments and then Josef went and won the 500, finally!"
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📸 Newgarden, finally, wins the Indy 500.
Just a quick one on Newgarden: He’s become an ‘oval master’, is his ability to win more on road and street courses maybe what’s letting him down in his chase for a third title?
Penske have a really good package for the ovals and that paid off for Josef but the likes of McLaren, Chip Ganassi and Andretti just seems to be really tough to match for other teams. There's no reason Josef can't but he'll need a good package on those circuits to do it.
📸 Newgarden's Penske machine.
4. What was your favourite circuit on this year’s calendar? "I often get this question and I think it changes every time! Road America always comes up or maybe Mid-Ohio. But then there's Barber(Motorsports Park) Barber, you can't make a single mistake."
📸 IndyCar machines take to Barber Motorsports Park.
5. Marcus Armstrong took the rookies title, how impressed were you with him? "He's earned his stripes. He's in a good stable with good drivers and found himself racing the likes of Palou, Scott Dixon, Christian Lundgaard, Pato O'Ward and held his own. He's looking forward doing the ovals and being more competitive, championship wise in 2024."
📸 Ex-Ferrari junior Marcus Armstrong enjoyed a strong season in IndyCar.
6. He was up against Agustin Canapino(just announced for another year), who came to IndyCar as a relative unknown, did he exceed your expectations? "100%. I think he was exceeded his own and the teams and really impressed everyone."
📸 Canapino ahead of Juncos Hollinger teammate Callum Ilott.
7. Linus Lundqvist, Tom Blomqvist and Juri Vips were among the late season rookies in the series and two of them are definitely coming back next year, do you think Vips will join them? "I hope so! He's certainly deserving of a shot. He sat out the best part of a year and came in and impressed right away. Punishment is important and Juri dealt with that, but when someone pushes through that and 'does their time' so to speak, they should be allowed a second chance. Tom(Blomqvist), has a lot to learn and has to somewhat change his game but he can be a great addition. Lundqvist looks a superstar, he'll be really exciting to watch."
📸 Vips impressed in his short IndyCar stint.
8. Indy 500: much like in 2022, a late red flag set up and hectic and exciting sprint finish to the end, how hard is it as a commentator to keep your cool in those moments? "Not to keep your cool but to know what's going on and to still be objective is tough when all the normaiity of it has gone out the window and you know as much as the viewer is tough!"
📸 A frantic finish to the 500, which is steeped in history(and milk), won by Newgarden.
9. Would you say accidents like the ones we saw with Kyle Kirkwood, Pato O’Ward and Sting Ray Robb in the Indy 500 are the reason some drivers avoid racing the ovals? "The thing with these crashes is the most dangerous thing that happened was the tyre that cleared the fence into the car park and luckily avoided any spectator injuries. Safety in IndyCar is second to none. As for the question, you're spot on. Drivers who haven't done ovals have huge respect for the ones that do. It's met with a lot of trepidation by drivers because of moments like these accidents.i remember a text from Alexander Rossi with a "wish me luck", before his first one. They know it's dangerous and you can see from watching, it's different.
📸 Kyle Kirkwood walked away relatively unscathed from his accident in the 500, but it highlighted how safe these cars are.
10. Which driver impressed you most across the season? "Lundgaard. Up to and including the 500 he was very much an 'apprentice' on the grid but after that he was a different person and he was rewarded with a win as he got better and better. He'll be one to watch next year."
📸 Lundgaard took his maiden win in Toronto.
11. Who for you was the surprise package? "Romain Grosjean. For pretty much all the wrong reasons. For a driver of his experience going to a team with Andretti's identity, it seemed like it would work but for whatever reason it didn't. Got worse post season too with something of a messy divorce."
📸 Grosjean's season did not go according to plan or prediction.
12. The Andretti team has been a talking point of late as they aim to join F1, if they were to take a driver from this year’s field to F1, who would you suggest for that role and why? "It'll be someone from within their stable, so probably Kyle Kirkwood or Colton Herta. They're both supreme talents with a lot of potential still. Colton didn't have an ideal season but he's still popular and represents a good choice."
📸 Colton Herta: Could the popular American be F1 bound?
13. Just to touch on the final race of the season at Laguna Seca which had a rookie starting P7, a turn 1, multi car crash, 8 full course cautions, a blocked pitlane, a race for the rookie title and multiple race leader - is that exactly the kind of race IndyCar needs to keep attracting viewers? "Chaos wasn't it hahaha!? There was so much going on, Vips got the blame for that turn 1 crash but it wasn't him at all! The drivers had huge struggles for grip with a number of them complaining about even being able to turn the wheel. People complained about it and the standard of driving but I thought it was really entertaining and I loved it!
📸 Chaos ensued from the very first corner at Laguna Seca.
14. Just to touch on a few individual drivers, how would you assess these guys seasons?
Graham Rahal - 2 pole positions but failed to qualify for the Indy 500
"I think he'll see it mostly a success, they way the team transformed the season and got rewarded for it was impressive.
Callum Ilott - impressive second season, but still chasing a podium
"I think Juncos, who are considered a smaller team would be happy, but I think Callum will definitely have wanted more and is capable of more. The Juncos-McLaren partnership I find interesting because for Juncos it's about sustainability but for Callum...I do wonder if McLaren have their eye on him for the future.
Romain Grosjean - at the moment, without a team, and couldn't get the best of the Andretti car as he chased desperately for a win as well as several accidents.
"Control, Alt, Delete. Very a much could've and should've in a lot of situations, and it's not gone well in the off season either".
15. Looking to next season, we obviously have some drivers announced, who of those drivers are you looking forward to watching? "Marcus and Linus. Any McLaren driver should be good as they step up their technical side. Pato will certainly be one to watch if they can build around him. Momentum is everything".
📸 Pato O'Ward has been testing with the McLaren F1 team.
16. Who would you like to see join the grid? "Kyle Larson full time would be great. IndyCar needs something like that. I'm looking forward to the non-championship Thermal Club round, it'd be really cool to see some guest drivers for that. Maybe the likes of Jenson Button or something like that!
📸 Jenson Button to race in IndyCar? Yes please!
Thanks to Tom, he's an absolute pleasure to chat with as a fellow fan of racing and as someone with a sort of 'insider view' of the IndyCar series! I hope to catch up with Tom again before the next season starts!
📸 Image credits: NTT IndyCar Series, Williams Racing, McLaren Racing, Team Penske, Andretti Autosport.
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