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 Chilton, who never finished higher than 13th in two seasons with F1
minnow Marussia, will drive for an IndyCar glamor team that includes
former Indy 500 winners Scott Dixon (2008) of New Zealand and Tony
Kanaan (2013) of Brazil.
But Chilton, who set a Formula One record when he became the only
driver to finish every race in a debut season, admitted that IndyCar
might only be a pit stop in his racing career, saying he has
unfinished business in F1.
"The one thing I have learned since coming to America is you really
don't know where life is going to take you and you should never say
never," Chilton told a conference call ahead of the IndyCar season
opener on March 13 in St. Petersburg, Florida. "I remember saying I
would never do IndyCar and now here I am.
"I'm not going to say I'm never going to go back to F1. If I
suddenly do amazingly well in IndyCar and it gives me the
opportunity to go back to F1 I would jump at it because F1 at the
end of the day is my goal.
"I still have lots of unfinished business there because since a
child I wanted to become a podium finisher or race winner but that
didn't happen because of certain circumstances the car you are in."
That will not be the situation in IndyCar where Chip Ganassi is one
of the elite teams alongside Penske Racing and Andretti Autosport
and can provide Chilton with top equipment.
Since 2003 the tree teams have combined to win every IndyCar drivers
championship with Ganassi drivers taking six of the last eight
crowns including last season's title won by Dixon.
Formula One drivers making the jump to IndyCar have often struggled
on the treacherous high-speed ovals that are unique to American open
wheel racing but Chilton has proven a quick study having won a race
in the IndyCar feeder series at the Iowa Speedway oval from the pole
last season.
Still the Englishman admits it is going to take time to get up to
speed in IndyCar.
"I am rookie, I know I have experience in one of the highest
categories in the world but they are still taking a risk with me, it
is going to be a steep learning curve," said Chilton.
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"I have been in a car the last few years, especially in F1 where you
could have the race of your life and still finish in the middle or
back of the pack.
"It's nice to know if you perform well then you've got the car that
can give you the champagne at the end of the race."
One of the biggest adjustments Chilton has had to make is life off
the track.
In F1, drivers lead a very cloistered existence largely cut off from
fans but in IndyCar the public swarm pit lane and the garages where
drivers constantly interact with the public taking requests for
autographs and pictures.
Chilton has also been shocked by the camaraderie in IndyCar where
drivers treat each other like fraternity brothers as opposed to the
catty rivalries found up and down the F1 paddock and even within
teams.
"It is quite eerie how welcoming everyone is," said Chilton. "I
understand the team being welcoming but the drivers, I'm not use to
that.
"The drivers get along, (in F1) there might be a couple you sort of
have as mates but IndyCar is so welcoming all the drivers seem to be
best mates and don't seem to have other friends.
"Their best friends are their rivals on the track. That has sort of
taken awhile for me to get my head around that."
(Editing by Frank Pingue)
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