Robert Wickens says a return to “elite degree” motorsport is the objective after driving a single-seater for the primary time since his 2018 IndyCar crash which left him paralysed.
The Canadian driver accomplished 11 laps on the wheel of System E’s Gen3 machine on the Portland Worldwide Raceway forward of the all-electric championship’s double-header this weekend.
The 35-year-old was given the chance after making contact with System E CEO Jeff Dodds final 12 months as Wickens seems to be to re-establish his motorsport profession by means of the usage of hand controls.
Robert Wickens drives the Gen3 automobile
Photograph by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images
The 30-minute session, which befell on Friday afternoon on the American circuit, comes six years since Wickens’ accident at Pocono the place he suffered a severe spinal twine harm that has left him a paraplegic.
Chatting with Autosport forward of his run and about whether or not his ambition was to race in System E, Wickens mentioned: “For me it’s not a matter of single-seaters, it’s elite degree of motorsport [that I want to race], whether or not it’s IMSA, if it’s the World Endurance Championship or System E.
“I feel it’s simply racing in opposition to one of the best drivers on this planet like I used to be doing in IndyCar and DTM previous to my accident. For me, that’s what I must get again to.”
Robert Wickens
Photograph by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images
Wickens made a return to racing in 2022 within the IMSA Michelin Pilot Problem collection aboard a Bryan Herta Autosport factory-backed Hyundai TCR machine, successful the class final season.
Talking after his System E outing, Wickens mentioned: “It was just a few laps, however I completely loved the expertise and it left me wanting much more. Hopefully this may result in extra alternatives sooner or later and presumably a rookie take a look at.”
Regardless of by no means having pushed a System E automobile beforehand, Wickens got here near becoming a member of the championship when he was provided a drive for the 2018-19 season only a week after signing his IndyCar contract with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports.
He added: “It’s aways been a objective, but it surely’s been such a extremely aggressive paddock it’s been laborious to get my foot within the door.
“Fortunately with the assistance of Jeff and System E, they helped open that door for me and offered me with a gap so now the objective is to get that rookie take a look at and be evaluated as another driver.”
Robert Wickens and Michael Andretti, Proprietor, Andretti World
Photograph by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images