After three consecutive seasons finishing in the top 10 in the IndyCar championship, including fifth in 2013, the third-generation driver sank this year to his worst finish in the series, 16th. In a season when Andretti Autosport-Honda struggled as a whole at several tracks, his teammates Carlos Munoz, Alexander Rossi and Ryan Hunter-Reay were 10th, 11th and 12th in the points table.

At the Indianapolis 500, traditionally Andretti’s strongest race, and one which scores double points, the team for one stint mounted Andretti’s left and right front tires the wrong way around. The result was that the pressures were a long way off on both sides, resulting in an enforced ultra-slow pace which saw the #27 drop well outside the Top 20. He would eventually recover to claim 13th.

Andretti told Motorsport.com: “Yeah, it hurt the final standings, but regardless of that, it was a dismal year. I don’t think the engineers would want me to go into the details, but we’ve touched on the issues before, back in May.”

Asked about his fiercest critics, Andretti said: “That comes with it – and they’re right to criticize, to be honest. But I don’t care about them. I won’t stop just because some people say I should.

“The good thing is that they have short memories so I’m gonna try and make them forget by having a strong season next year.

“And if our new stuff is anything like as good as what we ran at Sonoma, honestly, we should be in good shape. Without the overboost in qualifying, I would have been quick, up there with Ryan and Alex [who finished fourth and fifth].

“I can tell you this: I will leave no stone unturned this offseason to get back up front. We will get there as a team, and I will get there as a driver.”