Ricardo Juncos, with Infobae: What Callum Ilott had to say about Agustin Cannabino’s touch and the self-criticism of his IndyCar team

Recently arrived in Argentina, Ricardo Juncos speak with information Four days before the end of the season Laguna Secawhere Augustin Cannabino He had his best race in his debut season IndyCar. The team leader analyzed what happened on the California Highway track with the controversial maneuver carried out by his other driver. Callum IlottWhich created a touch that hurt the Argentine. He stated that he spoke with the Englishman and that he gave him his version of the events. Although the team Hollinger Racing Juncos I was able to add a couple of economic incentives $1.2 million per car After finishing the race in the top 22 in the championship, what happened to his riders revealed some mistakes.

Canabino was doing a great job after taking care of the tires and following the race plan to the letter. He finished second, but on lap 75, Ilott tried too hard to maneuver and touched his teammate’s Dallara-Chevrolet, damaging the right front wing and losing stability. This resulted in the Reef native falling behind and finishing in 14th place. However, it was enough to be able to obtain said support for the next season.

-Were you able to talk to Elliott, what did he tell you?

-We talked a little… At that moment we were in fourth and fifth place in the race. He logically wants to win his first race. Try jumping outside. His car was exposed to more risks. This is what he says. By coming out he said he was in a more vulnerable position, which is certainly understandable He is very sorry for what happened, Touch and risks incurred in the maneuver. He admitted it to me. It’s a matter of all of us sitting down. What happens is that after the race comes vacation. The whole team goes to rest. He went to England. We’ll all have a moment to sit down. The trailers from California haven’t arrived yet, and we don’t have the data, the videos, nothing to analyze what looks good from the outside. You have to sit down to understand all situations and see every point of view. In the beginning we were with both cars in the top five in the last race of the year and suddenly the options were gone, which is what happened.

-Did he accept that he disobeyed the race plan?

-No because at that moment he saw that Agustín was already inside, that he was in fourth place and he was in his head… The race was also crazy, it is not easy for a driver to come thinking about everything clearly; The message he talked about on the radio was that “your partner is at the forefront.” That was all he received and it was clear he was watching. It was not a clear message.. He remembers what we talked about before the race and that’s why he regrets what happened to Agustin, because he wanted to win his race without hurting Agustin. It wasn’t his intention. Why don’t you believe him? What I judged at the time was that there was a risky maneuver that should not have been taken. This is said from under the car. Easy to say and hot.

– Doesn’t what happened call into question his continuity for the next year?

– not at all . It’s supposed to continue, that’s what we always think about and we have a signed contract. We have a choice. It doesn’t mean we have to or have to have both pilots. That’s why I want to close the budget. If I don’t get sponsors, I’ll have to turn to pilots who have sponsors. The money has to come from somewhere.

-Did Ilott pay to run or was he appointed?

–Drivers are appointed by the team. In the case of Elliott, there are sponsors who have come from his side for both cars, as well as us through the “Visit Argentina” initiative. It’s a combination of both pilots.

-What is your assessment of Agustin’s season?

-The team faced a lot of problems, but Agustin turned from less to more. He was very fast all weekend and this was his best race. He was in a position to run the race itself, to win it legitimately, through strategy, not through advancement. He met all expectations.

-How is the topic so I can continue?

– We continue to talk about the economic issue with Hollinger and our potential investors and sponsors. The ideal situation is to continue the structure without modifications, with pilots, as I have always said, but we have to make sure that we have the necessary funds to be able to operate. There are still options for drivers who are not the ones we would prefer to maintain a fixed structure, but who have sponsorship, and who have sponsors and money to contribute. We are working to put together the 2024 budget and maintain the two pilot projects.

-Is there a maximum deadline?

-No, but as time passes we have to make decisions because the options on the table become smaller.

-Did everything that happened with Agustin go beyond what you imagined?

– Yes, from now on. The team showed huge potential and that is why it is a shame that they are now talking about a simple touch. Bad luck too. Agustín went on to take care of everything and Callum to win his first race. They weren’t on the same page and it was bad luck because Agustin’s car moved a little. It’s those situations that happen and because of that specific event you don’t see all the positive things that were there.

A highlight of the race broadcast at Laguna Seca was the appearance of Canapino’s TC Chevrolet with fans of the brand at the Autódromo de Buenos Aires Oscar and Juan Gálvez. It was a postcard of the impact that cannabino had on IndyCar. The phenomenon is being felt in the United States, where they also hope coral reefs will persist in 2024.

– When you saw the TC car on the broadcast, how did you feel?

-I couldn’t believe it. It puts Argentina and the technical committee on a global level because it has been broadcast to the whole world.. It’s a lot because no one has any idea what we do in Argentina, or what it means for us, or the level of the categories, whether we are good or bad, and now they see where we come from, what we are, we have good drivers everywhere. It’s good because it’s recognition of South America. We are so far from everything we have that we value. He was a genius.

-Are you pinching yourself to believe everything that happened?

-I’m not that much, I’m a little cold. We thought we would do a little better than we did in the end. It cost us a lot at the beginning of the year and we regained what we lost. We made a lot of mistakes. It’s a matter of analyzing it all and drawing conclusions. Learn from what happened this weekend. As a team owner, I am still learning because this is all new to me and I will definitely make mistakes and we will try to correct them over time.

-What self-criticism do you have about what happened last weekend?

–There was no good strategic plan. Everything has been talked about this way. We have many complex technological problems, the technical part that takes more of our time than the mathematical part. We don’t have a driver coach or mentor like all teams. We do not have individual strategies. All these things need to be developed. Accurate analysis of pilots’ data. These are issues that must be corrected because we know that we may not have the time or resources to do so now. It remains to move to the next stage and we have to think about it to take it into account, so that we have a better planned race.

-Are you considering someone as a sports director?

-I don’t have it yet.

-Will you meet people from Enprotur and Termas de Río Hondo?

-I am in constant contact. I don’t know if they will give us the agenda, but I know they are here with the election issue. Within their agenda we will try to come together. I think the campaign was very good. I think Argentina has stepped up a lot, in the United States especially with everything we’ve done this year. What we did was a grain of sand to help tourism in Argentina.

-What is the percentage of continuity of Agustin?

-I don’t want to create false expectations. If we can’t, it will be a disappointment to everyone. If you say it can continue then it doesn’t either. I want to go step by step as I always say. In 2019, it was too close to try and it didn’t happen. This is the way I want to keep it and I want to do my best.

-Why did Agustin finish the season well?

-It has become more flexible and thinner. It’s not easy. It has covered a lot of ground from where it started to where it is today in a very short time, about six months. What you are doing is very commendable. He deserves to continue what he did as a pilot, regardless of the fact that he is Argentinian.. If where he came from had done all this in six months, his prospects were extremely important. He should be given the opportunity to continue and be able to drive an IndyCar car as well as he drives a TC car.

-If you keep going, can you win next year’s race?

-He does good deeds. If there is a second year, the team’s responsibility will be greater. Last weekend, if all of this hadn’t happened, I would have been very close to winning it. I was in a position to do that. Ditto Callum Ilott. But last year we ended up taking first place with Ilott and this year we didn’t get first place. We’ve only had him (Ellot) enter the duodenum once. Last year we participated seven times.

-How much will expenses increase with the upcoming hybrid technology in 2024?

-I don’t have clear numbers, but I think it will be a 15/20 percent increase in the car’s value.

-Is there any news about the Argentine race?

–There was an agreement between the two teams and they wanted to leave. They are determined to go and do it. But we determine the latest conditions set by the category so that the event can be held in ideal conditions. Then we will see whether it is approved or not. If one of the parties involved is not willing to sign, there will be no agreement. But intention is everywhere, and what was once a doubt has now become a reality that matters to them. The next part is to put the agreement into legal documents and lay out the claims and demands that IndyCar makes as a class.