Lundqvist heads into this weekend’s spherical on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway highway course eighth within the standings, which was aided by a latest strategic masterpiece to go from 19th to 3rd at Barber.
Though the outing got here in solely the 25-year-old Swede’s third points-paying race behind the wheel of CGR’s No. 8 Honda, he’s resetting any expectations.
“I would not say that my expectations have been reversed in any approach, form or type as a result of I nonetheless realise that I’ve a lot to be taught,” mentioned Lundqvist, the 2022 Indy NXT champion.
“I’ve a protracted solution to go earlier than I’ll be constantly preventing for podiums week out, week in.
“However I feel we undoubtedly took a step. … It was type of a receipt that when every part does click on, we’ll be capable to battle for these wins and podiums, which on the finish of the day that is what we’re right here to do.”
Lundqvist went on so as to add “the step” he and the workforce have taken.
“I am nonetheless working by totally different setups for me to be 100% snug in,” he mentioned.
“Proper now, even when the automobile theoretically needs to be the quickest, I am not likely but on the consolation degree to drive it that approach. You lose extra out of the driving force than you’ll doubtlessly acquire from the automobile, if you understand what I imply. It is about discovering that candy spot.
“As my confidence grows within the automobile, what I am asking for, they will type of comply with alongside and hopefully spice issues up.
“It is a course of. It is a course of that neither me or the workforce need to rush by. We’re not driving round at 90%, but it surely’s nonetheless not one thing that we’re overly careworn about. We all know as soon as every part clicks, we’ll be proper up there.”
Scott McLaughlin, Workforce Penske Chevrolet, Will Energy, Workforce Penske Chevrolet, Linus Lundqvist, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda celebrateson the rostrum with champagne
Picture by: Richard Dole / Motorsport Images
Lundqvist’s focus is bound to be examined this weekend with 85 laps across the 2.439-mile, 14-turn circuit, and that’s largely as a result of it’s the solely race remaining earlier than embarking on his first-ever try on the Indianapolis 500.
“It is powerful,” Lundqvist mentioned.
“It is extraordinarily arduous. It is one thing that you have labored your entire life in direction of. The dream, it is to compete and clearly win the five hundred.
“I feel simply take it one step at a time. The purpose proper now’s to attempt to win Indy GP and do nicely there. Then clearly there is a fast turnaround and the shifting begins, the main target begins to be shifted in direction of the five hundred. Clearly, we’ve loads of observe classes forward, which is good for me.
“Then you definitely type of digest it into smaller objectives. The primary one for me is get snug in site visitors, then we’ll see how lengthy that takes. It’d take the entire month. Won’t even be snug after the five hundred, who is aware of. I feel that is going to be the largest factor for me, is getting used to having 30-odd vehicles round you.”