Scott Dixon aims to finish in the top two of the championship standings, as “not many remember who came third”

Credit: Lorena Barros

Commencing his 25th season with Chip Ganassi Racing, Scott Dixon is ready to start a new season, building on last year’s experiences. The New Zealander, along with the rest of the team, looks to fight at the top consistently and add to his accolades. 

Taking the spirit and gratitude into the year, Dixon recently had the honour of being knighted by New Zealand—a distinction that came as a shock to him, yet one that was of great personal significance. 

“I think as far as coming from your country, I've always loved and been very proud to fly the flag for New Zealand, and what it gave me as a young person growing up over there, and the support that I had from fellow Kiwis to get me to race in different countries has been huge,” Dixon said during media day.

From Knighthood, to adding another season to his career, it is this momentum he hopes to carry going forward.

Fighting for the win

A season reset gave Dixon and Chip Ganassi Racing time to learn from previous races, as he continues to stand firmly behind his team and the challenges they have faced.

“I think last year was just a bit of a downer year for us,” Dixon said. “Lots of little mistakes here and there. 

“We had lots of things out of our control, as well, [but] I'm looking forward to it. We had a big deep dive in the off-season, and then there was lots of positives and things that we kind of already knew, and then definitely some bits I could have executed a little bit better on.”

“I think there's a few things [on the] engineering side that we can definitely do better on, as well, for driving style differences and things like that. The pit crew stays exactly the same as last year. A couple small changes on the stand.”

A win from ninth place at Mid-Ohio and six top-five finishes during the 2025 season put Dixon in 3rd, behind Pato O’Ward in the championship. Regardless, he’s still seeking further success, and aims to fight for wins and championships. 

“Yeah, but third for me still sucks,” Dixon said, reflecting on his finishing position last season.

“You want to be winning, so that's all that really matters. It's an interesting time because I remember clearly when I first came into the sport, and it doesn't seem that long ago. 

“We're very lucky to do what we do. I feel great to be in this position. But ultimately, you just want to win. Not many people remember who came third last year. They only remember the champion.” 

Champion of a teammate

With four-time champion Alex Palou as both his teammate and his main competition, Dixon is quick to highlight Palou’s relentless work ethic and remarkable consistency: “Seeing him work and seeing him more closely, it's a no-brainer for me with how it goes.

“Yes, there's some times where it’s like, that definitely rolled your way. That was one of those seasons. I've been in one of those seasons, too, where anything you do strategy-wise or the lap you choose in qualifying, it kind of just plays off.” 

Yet, within the series, Dixon deems Palou winning a back-to-back championship “the standard right now and [the person] who everybody is chasing.”

Credits: Chris Owens

New Tracks, New Challenges

Alongside stops in Arlington, Texas and Washington D.C., IndyCar will return to Arizona as well as test out a new track configuration in Markham, Ontario.

Having tested at the Phoenix Raceway in November, Alexander Rossi and Dixon were able to commit to a 20-lap run each, [as the second lane] became usable. He additionally noted that “if you get a full field doing it, it could transition pretty quickly. The other thing, too, is how the [NASCAR] Cup tyre reacts to Firestone [tyres] is really a big unknown, as well.” 

It could be a race to look forward to, as Dixon points out its the distinct track characteristics: “It makes that big straight [a] single lane a little bit just with how you can place the car and nobody can go around you. But if that second lane comes in, it would be a game changer.”

In regards to Canada, the Toronto streets have hosted the series for several years, but it was announced last year that the race will be moved to Markham as part of a five-year deal.  

“It's a shame, I think, with losing the one there by the convention center,” Dixon said.

“But I'm excited there's a new place, and I think they really did their homework on the demographics and understanding where people are coming from and where they're coming from locally or from different areas outside of Toronto.”

Dixon has conquered the Streets of Toronto four times, with the most recent win in 2022. 

He will hope the new track suits him just as well as the old one, as he seeks to improve on his championship standing in the upcoming season.