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Aleshin confirmed at Schmidt Peterson for 2017 IndyCar season

After months of uncertainty, the SMP Racing program has confirmed that Mikhail Aleshin will return for a third season in the Verizon IndyCar Series with Schmidt Peterson Motorsport-Honda.

Mikhail Aleshin, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda

Mikhail Aleshin, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda

IndyCar Series

Mikhail Aleshin, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda
Mikhail Aleshin, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda
Mikhail Aleshin, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda
Mikhail Aleshin, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda
Mikhail Aleshin, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda
Mikhail Aleshin, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda
Mikhail Aleshin, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda
Polesitter Mikhail Aleshin, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda
Mikhail Aleshin, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda
Mikhail Aleshin, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda

Aleshin's IndyCar career was put on temporary hold in 2015 due to U.S. sanctions against certain Russian companies, and although he returned for a full season in 2016, America's continuing sanctions were thought to be a major stumbling block in his SMP funding for 2017.

However, Wednesday's announcement confirms Aleshin as James Hinchcliffe's teammate this season.

It's understood that the former Formula Renault 3.5 champion will also help test Dallara's LMP1 car on the simulator at its Indianapolis facility.

Sam Schmidt, founder and co-owner of Schmidt Peterson Motorsport, was known to be eager to retain his 2016 driver line-up and admitted that Aleshin's return was thus very gratifying.

He told Motorsport.com: "We've been eager to maintain continuity, with both the engineering department and – for the first time in our five years in IndyCar – our driver line-up.

"I mean, yes, 2016 was Mikhail's second year with us but there was a year's gap in between and he didn't have the same teammate, because in 2014 we still had Simon [Pagenaud]."

In his rookie season, Aleshin scored seven top 10 finishes including a second place at Houston, but was unable to start the final round at Fontana after a huge shunt in practice left him with fractured ribs, a broken right clavicle and severe internal chest injuries.

Despite this, he made a full recovery, raced in the European Le Mans Series, and when he returned to Schmidt Peterson for the 2015 IndyCar season finale at Sonoma, he outqualified the other two SPM cars of Ryan Briscoe and James Jakes and finished 10th.

In 2016, Aleshin scored fewer top-fives but was more prominent over most race weekends, finished just two places behind teammate Hinchcliffe in the championship, and might have won Mid-Ohio but for a pitlane fracas. Instead, his high spot was pole position and a second-place finish at Pocono Raceway.

"Yeah, exactly, that season of experience does make a big difference," said Schmidt. "Mikhail got better and better as the season went on in 2016, and was sometimes the best-qualifying Honda car – and best qualifier altogether at Pocono. So it was worth making a lot of effort to try and get him back because he's only going to get better.

"I'm happy SMP made this decision. We've seen how experience and continuity works for other teams in the series, so we're hoping to prove it works for us.

"It's a big year for the team. We've used all our mulligans, we've got no excuses; we have everything we want in place so now it's time to go and get better results.

"With Mikhail, if we can pick up where we left off last season, then it's going to be really good for both of us."

Aleshin and Hinchcliffe will test at Sonoma Raceway on Feb. 7 before heading southeast to Phoenix for IndyCar's open test at PIR on Feb. 10-11.

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