Andretti Autosport driver and three-time IndyCar Series race winner James Hinchcliffe is to replace the outgoing Simon Pagenaud at Schmidt Peterson Motorsport for 2015. The popular Canadian announced this in a statement this afternoon. Hinchcliffe will drive the #77 car which was driven by Pagenaud this year.
Hinchcliffe will enter his fifth season in IndyCar, having driven for the Newman/Haas team in 2011 and for Andretti Autosport in 2012 until 2014. He took the rookie title in 2011 and impressed many by winning three races in 2013, but his results didn’t improve at all in 2014, as he yielded just one podium. His relationship with the Andretti Autosport team appeared to sour during the 2014 season, which saw Hinchcliffe qualify well, but get involved in a lot of contact during the races.
SPM nearly took the championship last year with Pagenaud, but missed out after a really poor race at the championship finale at Fontana. The Frenchman will move to Team Penske for 2015, alongside current champion Will Power as well as Hélio Castroneves and Juan Pablo Montoya.
Hinchcliffe’s replacement at Andretti Autosport is yet to be confirmed, though GP2 series and Formula E driver Daniel Abt is set to test for the team. Hinchcliffe’s team mate (if any) is also yet to be confirmed, although it looks likely that Mikhail Aleshin is to return following his very big accident at Fontana.
This news means that 15 full-time entries are confirmed for next year’s IndyCar season, with ten of those coming from Andretti, Chip Ganassi Racing and Penske.
Welcome to the future! @Hinchtown #IndyCar Stay tuned for live updates from our presser at @Flat12Bierwerks #IndyCar pic.twitter.com/JeynufkHjC
— SPM (@SPMIndyCar) October 7, 2014
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