"Nothing was that far off": Josef Newgarden shares his honest verdict on the 2024 IndyCar season

Josef Newgarden has claimed that his 2024 IndyCar season wasn't as bad as the statistics reflected. The Team Penske driver finished eighth in the championship standings, his lowest since seventh place in 2015.

After the season ended, he acknowledged the setback, terming the 2024 season "disastrous." However, at IndyCar's content days recently, he reflected positively on last year with a change in stance.

When Pit Debrief questioned Newgarden, the 'King of Ovals', about his relative lack of success on road and street courses compared to ovals, he replied:

"Well, ’24 was kind of unfortunate in a lot of ways when you look at the numbers and you study average position, all of these sort of metrics. We’re in just as good of a spot as we’ve always been. There were some outlier events as everybody is aware of in 2024, but when I look at the numbers I go, 'This is really not different to what it was in years prior.'"

Josef Newgarden suffered some unlucky moments in 2024, like making contact and DNFing in both races at the Milwaukee Mile. Keeping such instances aside, the 34-year-old found the season to be decent.

"I think we’ve just got to right the ship in some ways from what we saw last year. We just had choppy water, and I think once we find a little clearer water, we’re going to be in a good spot. I guess that’s what I took from last year, when I really dove into the numbers, that nothing was that far off," he added.

Though Newgarden won a second consecutive Indy 500 to earn a record $4.288 million payout, the rest of the season was relatively underwhelming.

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Josef Newgarden and Team Penske are on a path of 'constant evolution'

AUTO: MAY 29 INDYCAR Series The 107th Indianapolis 500 - Source: Getty

Josef Newgarden will compete in his 14th IndyCar season in 2025. With a wealth of experience behind him, the Tenessee native knows what the ebb and flow of the sport feels like. So does Team Penske owner Roger Penske, who is one of the most successful IndyCar team owners ever.

Going into the 2025 season on the back of a mediocre season for Newgarden's No. 2 team, they are ready to make a comeback.

"I think that’s the goal, is you’ve got to get better every year. Certainly, I think even as humans, we’re trying to constantly evolve and be better prepared or be in a better spot year after year, and I think that’s true for us, and certainly after a season like 2024, resilience is a word that comes to my mind. I think we have tons of it, so everybody is rallied together and ready to go," he said during IndyCar's content days (via Indycar on YouTube).

Josef Newgarden has yet to taste victory at a permanent road or street circuit since his 2022 triumph at Road America. Though his main aim is to win a third consecutive Indy 500 this year on May 25, an all-round performance would be needed to overcome his biggest rivals at Andretti Global and Chip Ganassi Racing.