Schmidt Peterson's James Hinchcliffe has taken time to reflect on a 2018 IndyCar season filled with mixed emotions and inconsistency.
Having got off to a solid start early on in his campaign with the #5 Arrow Electronics SPM Honda with a run of five straight top-ten finishes, including a podium at the Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsport Park.
The Canadian's season took a huge hit when he failed to qualify for the 102nd running of the Indianapolis 500 on Bump Day and with double-points on the cards for the famous race, hopes of challenging for the title became a lot tougher.
"We had a strong start, which surprised us a little bit," Hinchcliffe told IndyCar.com. "We had had so many changes, and we expected to struggle right off the bat. The team did a really great job on race weekends. If bad things happened, we never let it get the best of us.
"We kept our heads down and made small but steady improvements during race weekends."
His relationship with the Brickyard has been tough after suffering a serious crash during practice for the 2015 Indy 500 which saw him sit out the remainder of that season. Hinchcliffe returned in 2016 to claim pole position for the 100th running of the event.
"It was certainly a character-building experience for not only myself but for the whole team,” he added. "It was humbling in a lot of ways and infuriating in a lot of ways.
"In situations like that, the only thing you can really control is how you handle it. As a team, we held our heads high and accepted blame for what we did and didn’t do. There was a lot of growth that came from that. It actually pulled the group together tighter."
"We’ve got this really unique sort of love-hate relationship with Indianapolis Motor Speedway, it seems. I think that’s what makes us respect the race and respect the track even more. There’s no group that wants to show up there and do well as much as these guys do.
"We’re looking forward to getting back there and redeeming ourselves.
"Having to face the reality of not being in the biggest race of our season, having to deal with sponsors and fans and everything else in that scenario wasn’t ideal, but we’re incredibly lucky that we have such good partners at SPM.
"Everybody stood behind us. They understood the situation. Nobody panicked. Nobody jumped ship. Everybody had faith in us as a group."
After the disappointment of the Indy 500 and tough results in Detroit, heading into July – Hinchcliffe managed to claim his only win of the season at the Iowa Corn 300. The 31-year old felt his SPM were really coming into their own stride as well as understanding the new aerokit.
"Iowa came at a point where we were kind of on a roll as a team," added the Canadian. "The team was really hitting on everything.
"We were performing at the best level. To go there with a new aero kit, we had to relearn a lot. We tested there before the race, and that helped.
"The new kit drove so differently at Iowa. We had to reinvent our setup a bit. The guys got it just right. We kept our calm on race day and took advantage of a good car. That was the highlight of the season for us."
His season took a turn for the worse after witnessing his SPM team-mate and childhood friend Robert Wickens tangle with #28 DHL Andretti Autosport of Ryan Hunter-Reay in Pocono during the ABC Supply 500. Wickens was catapulted into the catch fencing and suffered serious injuries, Hinchcliffe was also caught up in the aftermath of the accident.
Hinchcliffe immediately went to see his compatriot at the Le-high Valley hospital after getting checked over cleared from the trackside medical centre. He has since been to visit him on numerous occasions during his rehabilitation.
The pair even posted a video on social media of them having fun with Wickens pulling Hinchcliffe down the corridor via his electric wheelchair.
"Robbie sees progress every day," he added. "His spirits are definitely good.
"He’s the same old Robbie. He’s just as competitive and just as driven as ever. He’s bringing the approach that makes him so successful behind the wheel of a race car and as a professional driver to his rehab. It’s serving him very well."
