( third) getting our first podium of the season, then the pole at the 500, we had a great month of May in general.”
Hinchcliffe is under contract to return for a third season with Schmidt, who sees his driver as the complete package.
“ I’ ve always believed that,” Schmidt said.“ He drove for us in Indy Lights in 2009. We tried to get him earlier than we did,( but) he had the contract with Andretti. It’ s all worked out pretty well. We can build a longterm program around him and a long-term program around Mikhail( Aleshin, whose deal for
2017 is not yet finalized) and keep on improving.
“ We’ re still not perfect, but I think the guys are doing a hell of a job. We want to position ourselves in the off season, fill in a couple of spots here and there, and legitimately go for the championship next year.”
Three of Hinchcliffe’ s four career wins came in 2013 with Andretti Autosport. The fourth victory came at the 2015 Indy Grand Prix of Louisiana at NOLA Motorsports Park outside New Orleans. He’ s run with one of the“ Big Three” in Andretti Autosport for three seasons and competed against Team Penske,