Group Lotus, Shell/Penzoil, and a four drivers Chip Ganassi program including Graham Rahal can easily guarantee a breathtaking 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series championship, but the possibility of adding veteran Oriol Servia and James Hinchcliffe in the Newman Haas Racing Team would further increase the competition for the titles. Coming off of a windy but successful two-day test at Sebring with Newman Haas Racing, the two drivers could make a victorious combination if their respective funding arrives in time to partner together at NHR.Servia, whose last serious stint in open-wheel racing came during a four-race spell with NHR in 2009, has long been regarded as one of the best in the open-wheel races. Teams and young rookies both are searching for his racing experience but with a scarcity of fully-funded seats available, the former Champ Car race winner -just like veterans Paul Tracy and Bruno Junqueira, has been forced him out of racing. Yet, a glimmer of hope has emerged recently with options at NHR, KV Racing and a third possible team beginning to build momentum. Firestone Indy Lights Series veteran Hinchcliffe is also chasing down a number of sponsorship leads that could help the 2010 FILS runner-up to make the big step into the IndyCar Series.
For the two drivers a possible partnership with the Newman Haas organization could prove to be rather effective. For NHR, who’ve also been seeking traction and stability after an unfulfilling season with Hideki Mutoh (and a part-time effort with Graham Rahal), it could be a perfect fit as everyone involved in the project is hungry to reach higher ground.
The veteran/rookie combination worked well at NHR with Sebastien Bourdais and Justin Wilson mentoring young Rahal to great effect, and Hinchcliffe says he’d welcome the same opportunity to learn under Servia and the accomplished staff at NHR.
Hinchcliffe told SPEED.com:
“Sometimes there’s nothing better than getting a guy when he’s young, eager to learn and also doesn’t have any preconceived notions. Then you can shape him into the driver you want him to be. The opportunity to even test for a team like Newman Haas is amazing for me. Even more so with a guy like Oriol Servia in the next seat... It says a lot about the team for them to take a little bit of a leap of faith. I didn’t win the Lights championship, but I showed promise and I think they were willing to see what I was about and if I could handle a big car. It was largely a driver evaluation and we worked through a lot of setup changes and matched the fastest time they’ve ever done here in an IRL car. They also ran me through pit stops and bunch of other routine items you want to have under your belt as a rookie. You don’t see many teams willing to do that these days—to help a young guy to gain experience and show what he’s capable of.”
Servia isn’t lacking in experience, nor is he lacking in motivation, and after a year spent on the sidelines, the diminutive Spaniard says he can’t wait to resume his career.
“I love this. Corner by corner…feeling the car…making setup changes…helping the team to find new directions; this is what I love. After being away for a year—the first year in forever since I was not racing—the chance to put my suit and helmet on and get into the motions of testing…this reconfirms how much I need to be back in the IndyCar Series. Things will only get more competitive next year, so I know I can help a team like Newman Haas to get back to where they belong. We both belong up front.”
