The 'tyrants' striking fear into IndyCar rivals

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The 2023 IndyCar Series is acceptable to roar into beingness connected the streets of St Petersburg, Florida connected Monday (AEDT).

Ahead of the season-opener connected March 6, Wide World of Sports has taken a look astatine the favourites for the Astor Cup - and there's a crushed the database mostly features drivers from Team Penske and Chip Ganassi Racing.

The 2 tyrants person ruled the roost for the past decade. Since 2013, they've had 5 titles apiece.

Stan Sport is the lone spot to ticker the 2023 IndyCar Series, opening March 6 AEDT. All the enactment streaming ad-free, unrecorded and connected demand

Will Power wins 2nd IndyCar crown

Chip Ganassi has been the stronger of the 2 implicit a longer period, having won 9 titles since 2008.

However, determination are besides a fewer outsiders that could endanger an upset.

In nary peculiar order, present are the apical 8 contenders for this year's series.

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Will Power – Team Penske

In 2022, Will Power showed wherefore consistency is the cardinal to winning the crown.

Across the 17-race schedule, the Australian finished extracurricular the apical 5 connected conscionable 5 occasions.

He didn't triumph each race. Indeed, helium lone took 1 win, but helium made definite helium was arsenic adjacent to the pointy extremity arsenic possible.

Assuming helium tin replicate that consistency successful 2023, past Power is an odds-on favourite for different title.

Scott Dixon – Chip Ganassi Racing

You tin ne'er number retired Scott Dixon.

His hunt for a record-equalling seventh IndyCar crown remains 1 of the astir talked astir storylines successful the paddock, and 2023 could beryllium the year.

Dixon has had to hold nary much than 4 years betwixt titles. His past came successful 2020, a play that saw him pb from commencement to finish.

In 2022, Dixon was coagulated if unspectacular. In galore ways, helium exhibited the aforesaid attack arsenic Will Power.

Dixon was extracurricular the apical 5 connected conscionable 8 occasions, however, his run was truly killed by the Indianapolis 500.

He dominated the race, lone to bull a speeding punishment precocious successful the portion that yet saw him decorativeness 21st.

Might 2023 beryllium his year?

Colton Herta – Andretti Autosport

It's hard to judge Colton Herta is lone 22.

The American is somewhat of a seasoned having made his IndyCar debut astatine 18 successful 2018.

In lone his 3rd race, helium became the youngest contention victor and acceptable a earnestly precocious anticipation that he'd beryllium a champion 1 day.

That anticipation has yet to beryllium fulfilled, and 3 seasons connected the closest Herta has travel is his 2020 run successful which helium finished third.

Tumultuous is possibly the champion mode to picture Herta's vocation to date. His grounds reads seventh, third, fifth, 10th successful his 4 afloat seasons to date.

There's nary doubting his talent, his 7 wins and 11 podiums are grounds of that. However, similar erstwhile teammate Alexander Rossi, inconsistency has plagued him and Andretti Autosport.

Alex Palou – Chip Ganassi Racing

This play shapes arsenic a fascinating 1 for Alex Palou, possibly for each the incorrect reasons.

In mean circumstances, he'd beryllium an out-and-out favourite for the title.

His nationalist declaration spat was the speech of the municipality past year. That saw the Spaniard effort to determination to McLaren and yet ended with Chip Ganassi Racing retaining his services.

Palou has pace. His 2022 rubric showed that. Whether Chip Ganassi volition prioritise him this twelvemonth remains to beryllium seen.

The squad has downplayed immoderate speech of favouring different drivers wrong the team, though it's hard to ideate he'll beryllium the No.1 prime with an eventual defection apt to travel successful 2024.

Scott McLaughlin – Team Penske

Three-time Supercars champion Scott McLaughlin is possibly the astir breathtaking imaginable successful 2023.

After a breakout 2nd play successful which helium was a regular contention victor and rod sitter, the Kiwi shapes arsenic a bonafide contender this year.

Like Dixon, McLaughlin delivered a disastrous effect astatine Indianapolis. That proved to beryllium the quality successful his quest.

With treble points gone from this year's Indianapolis 500, a dud effect astatine the Brickyard mightn't wounded truthful much.

McLaughlin took rod presumption astatine St Petersburg past twelvemonth and the win. Look for the Kiwi to beryllium a front-runner this year.

Josef Newgarden – Team Penske

In 2022, Josef Newgarden won much races than anyone else.

It meant small successful the end, coming up abbreviated to teammate Power who showed that consistency mattered more.

Newgarden won 5 races past twelvemonth but recovered himself extracurricular the apical 10 each excessively often.

If helium tin harvester his earthy race-winning gait with consistency, past the American could beryllium unbeatable successful 2023.

Perhaps the cardinal to his run is the Indianapolis 500. It remains the 1 contention helium hasn't been capable to conquer. His champion effect remains 3rd successful 2016.

Alexander Rossi – McLaren

Might Alexander Rossi's long-awaited divorcement from Andretti Autosport reignite the American's passionateness for IndyCar?

Since finishing 2nd to Scott Dixon successful 2018, the Indianapolis 500 victor hasn't been capable to replicate that pace. It's been a dilatory downhill slide, resulting successful a 49-race winless streak.

A determination to McLaren mightiness beryllium what gets him backmost successful contention. With Pato O'Ward and Felix Rosenqvist, the squad has shown it tin lucifer Chip Ganassi Racing and Team Penske, though Rossi volition person to bash that implicit the duration of the season.

Rossi has to beryllium the starring contender for the rubric extracurricular the Team Penske and Chip Ganassi Racing drivers.

Pato O'Ward – McLaren

Mexico's Pato O'Ward remains the biggest question people connected the grid this year.

It's precise overmuch a lawsuit erstwhile volition helium deliver? His archetypal play with McLaren was solid, finishing 4th successful a play littered with podiums. His 2nd play brought wins and an extracurricular changeable astatine the title.

His astir caller run tin lone beryllium described arsenic coagulated if unspectacular. More wins were forthcoming, though a rubric situation ne'er truly materialised connected his mode to seventh.

Best of the rest

And what astir the wildcards? Romain Grosjean could conceivably contend for the title, though helium is inactive searching for his archetypal contention win.

Felix Rosenqvist has yet to truly present connected the hype. The super-fast Swede has conscionable 1 triumph to his sanction successful 4 years of IndyCar racing.

Then there's Marcus Ericsson, different Swede who led the lion's stock of the 2022 rubric contention lone to travel up short. The ex-Formula 1 operator has proven helium tin beryllium a contention winner, though helium excessively has struggled with consistently racing astatine the front.

Perhaps the astir funny of each is Rinus VeeKay. The Ed Carpenter Racing operator was a contention victor successful 2021 and proceeded to slice into oblivion.

There wasn't overmuch to speech astir successful 2022 either. He took 1 podium successful an different quiescent season. VeeKay, connected his day, has race-winning speed. He'll request to regularly present results successful 2023 to feature.

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