IndyCar Media Day 2013: Will Power not sulking over third-straight championship defeat, excited to work with AJ Allmendinger

LEEDS, Ala. - Will Power had a relaxing off-season. And while finishing a disappointing second in the championship standings for a third straight-season was expected to hang over him deep into the winter, the sardonic Aussie said that he’s mastered how to finish second gracefully since 2010. Now he’s just looking to find a way where he can finish first.

“Just get four points,” Power said, referencing the championship deficit from last year. “I just need to score four more points.”

Power says that he was back in the shop, preparing for the 2013 season just one week after his dramatic loss to Ryan Hunter-Reay in the IndyCar championships at Fontana. At the end of the day, Power is just happy that he gets to drive full-time for Roger Penske. That doesn’t mean he’s not motivated -- he’s just comfortable.

“I just think that as you go on in life,” Power said. “Just in general or with your job, whatever that may be and for me it’s racing. You become a lot more comfortable with your surroundings and the people you work with, the series and everything you’re in. You just become more relaxed naturally because it becomes more common to you.”

Winning races is common to Power who will again team up with Penske driver Hélio Castroneves and newcomer AJ Allmendinger. Power competed against Allmendinger in the Champ Car World Series and knows the success he’s capable of once he gets comfortable in the cockpit.

Power is already learning from Allmendinger and the former NASCAR driver said earlier in the morning that he expects to shadow Power during the open test because of how similar their driving styles are. Allmendinger said earlier in the morning that he likes to brake deep into the corners, very similar to Power, so there could be some synergy later in the season if Allmendinger quickly gets up to speed.

“AJ, the small amount that I’ve worked with him, he’s a great guy, great personality,” Power said. “He’s funny, but on the track he’s very fast as we saw at Sebring. The lap time wasn’t representative of it, but he got up to speed very quickly. You could see some very good sectors in there and I was already learning stuff off of him. I think he’s an asset to the team and so far I think he’s doing two races and I hope he does more.”