IndyCar: Post-Season Driver Grades

C. Marco Andretti failed to win a race for the sixth straight season, but his results were much improved from the 2016 season. This season, he finished in the top 8 a total of five times, while last season, he finished in the top 9 just once with an 8th place finish. Also this season, he finished in 12th place in the championship standings, while last season, he finished in 16th. His best finish of 4th place this season was far better than his best finish of 8th last season.. No. 27. Andretti Autosport, Honda. MARCO ANDRETTI

B. It’s hard to give the Indianapolis 500 champion anything lower than a “B” grade, especially since he did end up finishing in 8th place in the championship standings, which was by far a new career-high. The reason Takuma Sato’s grade can’t be higher is because of the fact that after the Indianapolis 500 and the Dual in Detroit, it almost seemed like he forgot how to drive. He had just one top 12 finish in the nine races to close out the season, although that was a solid 5th place effort at Mid-Ohio, his fourth top 5 result and sixth top 10 result of the season.. No. 26. Andretti Autosport, Honda. TAKUMA SATO

B+. Ryan Hunter-Reay, who hasn’t won a race in over two years, was arguably the fastest driver who did not win a race all season. In fact, he finished in 9th place in the championship standings as the highest driver without a win; all of the top 8 won at least one race in 2017. Early on in the season, it seemed like whenever he was having a good race, a mechanical issue would ruin his day. He looked poised to win at Long Beach and at the Indianapolis 500 before engine issues did not even allow him to finish those races.. No. 28. Andretti Autosport, Honda. RYAN HUNTER-REAY

A-. This season, Alexander Rossi solidified himself a driver that may very well be able to contend for future championships. Mechanical issues and crashes ruined a few of his races toward the beginning and middle of the season, but otherwise he was one of the most consistent drivers in the field. He proved himself as one of the best all-around drivers on all types of tracks with a late five-race streak of top 6 finishes that included three podium finishes: a 2nd place finish at the Toronto street course, a 3rd place finish at the Pocono superspeedway and a win at the Watkins Glen road course, his first career non-Indianapolis 500 victory.. No. 98. Andretti Herta Autosport, Honda. ALEXANDER ROSSI