Robert Wickens Interview

Robert Wickens Interview SPEED with Harvick and Buxton · Apr 29, 2026

Annotations will appear as you listen

0:00

37:27

Term

pole position

Pole position is when you qualify fastest and start the race from the very front. That usually gives you a cleaner start and less hassle with other cars right away.

Concept

“Path back to the front” refers to a driver’s comeback—rebuilding the ability to compete at the highest level after a major setback. In this context, it’s tied to returning to racing after an accident and finding a route back to competitive performance.

Concept

break new ground

“Break new ground” means doing something that hasn’t been done before, or figuring out a new way to make racing possible. In this case, it’s about overcoming the challenges from the accident so the driver can compete again.

Car

TCR car

TCR is a type of race series for cars that are based on normal road cars. When someone says “TCR car,” they mean a version of a regular car that’s been modified for that specific racing rule set.

Company

Brinehart Autosport

Brinehart Autosport is a race team. They’re the group running the car Wickens got to drive in this story.

Term

hand controls

Hand controls are modifications that let a driver use their hands instead of their feet to control things like braking. In racing, the goal is to make the braking feel predictable so the driver can be precise.

Term

braking felt natural

This is about how the braking system feels to the driver. If it feels natural and predictable, it’s easier to brake the same way lap after lap, which helps performance and safety.

Term

hydraulic sensation

Hydraulic means the system uses fluid pressure to create braking force. Wickens is saying he wanted the braking to feel like what he’s used to with his feet, so he could control the car better.

Concept

adapting controls to unlock performance

The idea here is that if you modify the car so the controls feel right to the driver, you can drive faster and more consistently. It’s not just about having the right equipment—it’s about making it feel natural so you can focus on driving.

Topic

Amsoilotech Sports Car Championship

He’s talking about a specific racing series he wanted to reach. It matters because different series are like different “levels” in racing.

Company

Bosch

Bosch is a major automotive supplier, and here it’s mentioned in connection with an electronic braking system. That implies the car is using advanced braking electronics—important in racing for consistent pedal feel, stability, and repeatable performance under load.

Part

electronic braking system

Instead of the brakes being controlled only by the pedal and hydraulics, electronics help manage how the brakes apply. That can make braking more consistent and predictable when you’re pushing hard.

Company

Pratt and Miller

Pratt & Miller is a company that helps build and prepare race cars. Their involvement usually means the car was set up by experienced racing specialists.

Company

Corvette Racing

Corvette Racing is Chevrolet’s racing team/program. They’re mentioned because they helped with the Corvette’s race preparation.

Concept

iRacing

iRacing is a racing video game that’s built to feel like real driving. People use it to practice how to drive and race, especially when they can’t get to a track.

Concept

pole leading every lap

Pole is when you start the race from the very front. If you lead every lap, you stay in first place from the start to the finish, usually by driving consistently and managing the car well.

Concept

five sprint races this year in 2026

A sprint race is a shorter, faster race than the main event. If you only do a few sprints in a year, you have fewer chances to build rhythm and score points the same way as a full schedule.

Concept

breaking is probably the most critical aspect of racecraft

Racecraft is how you actually win races—how you drive and make moves. Braking matters a lot because it controls your speed into corners and helps you keep the car from getting out of shape.

Term

lock a tire

If you “lock” a tire, it stops rolling while you’re still braking. That often makes braking less effective and can make the car harder to control.

Term

braking sensation

Braking sensation is basically how the brakes feel when you squeeze or press them. If the feel is off, it’s harder to brake at the right time and with the right strength.

Company

Pratt Miller

Pratt Miller is a motorsports engineering company. Here, they helped design the special controls so the driver can operate braking and gear changes using hands instead of feet.

Concept

downshift

A downshift is when you move to a lower gear. It helps the car respond better for slowing down and turning, and it sets the engine up for the next part of the corner.

Concept

upshift

An upshift is when you shift into a higher gear. It’s how the car stays in the right “power range” as you accelerate.

Topic

Long Beach Hairpin

The Long Beach Hairpin is a very tight turn on the Long Beach track. Because it’s so tight, your hands and arms have limited reach, which affects how you operate the car’s controls while cornering.

Term

paddle's on the steering wheel

Those are the shift paddles behind the steering wheel. They let you shift without moving your hands far, but in a very tight corner you may not be able to reach them comfortably.

Term

brake on both sides of the steering wheel

They’re talking about how you place your hands so you can brake and steer at the same time. On track, you can’t always reach everything comfortably, so you learn a hand position that keeps you in control.

Term

throttle paddle

A throttle paddle is a control on the steering wheel you use to control the gas. If you’re turning a lot, your hands may not be in the right place to reach it, so you have to adapt your driving technique.

Term

tip in the throttle

“Tip in the throttle” means you start pressing the gas as you come out of a turn. Doing it at the right moment helps the tires grip and helps the car accelerate smoothly.

Topic

corkscrew

The corkscrew is a famous corner at Laguna Seca. It’s hard because the car changes direction quickly and drops in elevation, so you may need to move your hands and shift at the same time.

Topic

Laguna Seca

Laguna Seca is a famous road course known for challenging corners that demand precise throttle timing and body/hand coordination. The speaker compares a corner there to a “corkscrew,” emphasizing how the steering and elevation changes can force a specific sequence of throttle input and hand switching.

Concept

10,000 hours

It’s a popular idea that you get really good at something after putting in a lot of practice time. In racing, it means you’ve practiced the same kinds of driving moves so many times that your hands and feet react automatically.

Concept

Sim

Here “Sim” is short for a driving simulator. It’s like a high-tech training setup where you practice driving actions (like braking and accelerating) in a safe way.

Concept

mental connection / muscle memory retraining

The speaker describes retraining the “mental connection” between what you see and which body input you use (feet vs hands). This is essentially relearning muscle memory so braking and throttle actions happen automatically during fast reactions.

Term

foot brakes

“Foot brakes” are the normal brake pedals you press with your foot. The point here is that different setups can change how your body reacts when you need to stop fast.

Term

throttles

“Throttles” means the accelerator control. In a sim, how you press and control it affects how the car behaves, just like in real driving.

Term

hold it flat out technique

“Hold it flat out” means keeping the accelerator pressed all the way. They’re saying it might be easier for them to do consistently, but it’s harder to take their foot off smoothly.

Term

brake by wire system

Instead of your input directly pushing brake fluid through a cable, the car uses electronics to control the braking. This can make braking feel more consistent and allows the system to react very quickly.

Topic

IMSA

IMSA is the racing organization that sets the rules and oversees competition. They also verify that the tech being used follows those rules.

Concept

homologated

Homologation is basically “getting approval” from the racing rules body. It ensures the technology is legal and meets the required standards.

Concept

constant telemetry

Telemetry is real-time information the car sends out while it’s running. In this case, officials can monitor the braking system to make sure it’s behaving within the rules.

Concept

instantaneous 2000 PSI of brake pressure

He’s saying the system can create a huge braking force very quickly. With electronics, the car can apply pressure faster than a person could by feel.

Concept

latencies and delays

Latency/delay is the “lag” between what you ask for and what the car does. They adjust that lag so the braking response feels and performs like what a human driver could achieve.

Term

120 bar of brake pressure

Bar is just a way to measure pressure. He’s saying the system is limited to a certain maximum so it doesn’t outperform what a person can do.

Term

brake bias

Brake bias means how much of the braking happens at the front versus the rear. If you shift it one way, the car can feel more stable; shift it the other way, and it can turn in differently when you brake.

Term

master cylinders

Master cylinders are part of the brake system that turn your pedal (or control input) into brake fluid pressure. If something bypasses them, it means the driver’s control is directly managing the hydraulic pressure instead of using the normal pedal path.

Concept

shakedown

A shakedown is an early test session where a driver and team validate that a new or modified race car is safe and behaves as expected. It’s often used to catch issues before a competitive weekend, including checking systems like braking, electronics, and control integration.

Concept

brake sensation

“Brake sensation” is how the brakes feel when you use them—how easy it is to control how hard you’re slowing down. With hand controls, the goal is to make that feel natural enough that the driver can brake smoothly and accurately.

Part

damper

A damper is like a shock absorber for a specific motion. Here, they added one to the steering wheel so the steering response feels smoother and more controlled.

Term

spring rate

Spring rate is how “stiff” the suspension spring is. A higher spring rate usually means the car resists squatting and bouncing more, which can help the tires stay planted.

Concept

braking fuel

This phrase is basically about how much braking performance you can reliably use. If the suspension is tuned well, the car stays planted so braking feels strong and repeatable.

Concept

resolution

Here, “resolution” is about how precisely the car responds. You want the suspension to react in a controlled, step-by-step way so the driver can place the car accurately.

Term

spring on it for stiffness

They’re talking about making the suspension spring stiffer. That can help the car stay flatter and more controlled, but too much stiffness can make it less comfortable or reduce tire grip.

Term

P1

“P1” just means you’re in first place. They told him he was fastest/first in qualifying, but later the order changed.

Topic

Qualifying at Long Beach and disqualification reshuffling results

They’re describing a qualifying moment where the running order changed after officials made a call. A disqualification can move you up (or down) even after the session ends.

Term

P2

“P2” means second place. He was first at first, then the officials changed it and he ended up second.

Term

pole inherited

If someone who originally qualified first gets disqualified, the next-best driver can move up and take the pole position. That’s what “pole inherited” means here.

Concept

risk first reward

This is about choosing how aggressive to be. The driver is trying to get the best result, but only if the chances of crashing or making a mistake are kept under control.

Concept

put a wheel off

“Put a wheel off” means one tire goes off the racing surface. That usually slows you down and can be risky because the car may lose grip or stability.

Concept

Nürburgring

The Nürburgring is a well-known race track in Germany. It’s tough on cars and drivers, so when something fails there, it can be a big deal.

Concept

pushing the envelope

It means driving as hard as you possibly can without losing control. In racing, that usually means taking bigger risks—like braking later—so you can go faster, but it can also lead to crashes.

Concept

break too late

Braking too late means you wait longer than you should before slowing down for a turn. It can make you faster if you get it right, but if you’re off by even a little, you can run wide or hit the barriers.

Concept

narrative after a crash

They’re talking about how, after a crash, people can focus on that incident instead of the driver’s skill. The question is whether the driver can be judged mainly for racing ability going forward.

Brand

WeatherTech

WeatherTech is a company name used in the title of the racing series. It’s basically telling you which IMSA sports-car series they’re talking about.

Concept

lap time

Lap time is simply how long it takes to drive around the track once. Faster lap times usually mean better speed and better driving lines.

Concept

adaptive equivalent to motorsport

Adaptive motorsport means racing that’s set up so people with disabilities can compete. It may involve special driving aids or modified controls so drivers can race safely and effectively.

Concept

accident in 2018

They’re talking about a serious crash from 2018 that changed their life. After something like that, people often reassess what matters most and how they want to move forward.

Concept

Formula E

Formula E is a race series where the cars are fully electric. Because it’s built around electric power and heavy electronics, it’s a good place to test tech that might later show up in other cars.

Concept

transposed into any type of car

He’s basically asking whether racing tech can be moved into regular cars. The first challenge is often where all the hardware has to fit inside the driver area (the cockpit).

Part

electronic braking modules

Electronic braking modules are the “brains and hardware” that control how hard the brakes apply. Instead of relying only on a direct mechanical feel, they use sensors and computers to turn your brake input into precise brake pressure at the wheels.

Term

ECU

An ECU is the car’s main computer for controlling systems. Here it’s coordinating the braking modules so the car can apply the right brake pressure when the driver requests it.

Term

brake paddle

A brake paddle is like a brake control you press or pull on the steering wheel. Instead of directly moving a traditional linkage, it tells the car’s computer what braking you want.

Part

calipers

Calipers are the parts that squeeze the brake pads against the brake rotor. More computer-controlled brake pressure means the calipers clamp harder for stronger braking.

Concept

transferable module system

“Transferable” and “modular” mean the setup is designed to be swapped or installed in different cars more easily. The goal is to make the driver-assist hardware work like normal race-car equipment, not like a bulky add-on.

Part

pneumatic actuator

A pneumatic actuator uses compressed air to move a mechanism. In this context, it pushes the brake pedal down for a disabled driver, which is why the system needs an air compressor to generate and maintain pressure.

Part

air compressor

An air compressor is what makes the pressurized air that pneumatic systems rely on. In this setup, it’s used to keep enough air pressure available to operate the brake control.

Term

mechanical linkages

Mechanical linkages are the “moving parts” that connect controls to the action they cause. Here, they’re describing how the earlier system used visible hardware to transfer motion to the brake pedal.

Concept

weight addition

Weight matters in racing: if you add extra stuff to the car, it can make the car slower and harder to handle. Wickens says his system adds some weight, but the rules help offset that so he’s not at a disadvantage.

Concept

balance of performance

In some racing series, cars aren’t all identical, so the organizers use Balance of Performance (BoP) to make the competition fair. If one car gets heavier because of a new setup, the rules can “balance it out” by adjusting ballast so the cars stay roughly equal.

Term

BOP ballast

BoP ballast is extra weight that race officials add to a car to keep performance fair. If you add something to the car that makes it heavier, they may take weight out of the “official” ballast so you end up at the same overall weight as the other cars.

Topic

NASCAR

NASCAR is a popular American racing series known for stock cars and oval tracks. Wickens is wondering whether what he’s doing in sports-car racing could translate to that world.

Topic

Daytona 24

Daytona 24 is a 24-hour endurance race at Daytona. It’s the kind of long, tough race that many drivers aim for if they want to broaden their endurance résumé.

Topic

IndyCar season in 2018

IndyCar is a major type of race series in the U.S. Saying “2018” is just pointing to the year he felt he was at his best.

Concept

driver coach

A driver coach is someone who helps a race driver get better. They look at how the driver performs and help them make smarter choices and communicate more clearly.

Concept

timing stand

The timing stand is the control area where people track lap times and race information. If a driver gets frustrated or makes things chaotic, it can affect the people working there too.

Topic

24 hours of Daytona

The 24 Hours of Daytona is a famous long-distance race where cars run for a full day. It’s a big goal for drivers because it’s hard to stay fast and consistent for so long.

Topic

Sea Ring 12

“Sea Ring 12” refers to the 12 Hours of Sebring, another major IMSA endurance race at Sebring International Raceway. It’s known for its abrasive surface and bumps, which make car setup and tire management especially important.

Topic

Petite

“Petite” is shorthand for the Petit Le Mans, a well-known IMSA endurance race held at Road Atlanta. It’s a popular target for drivers because it combines sprint-like intensity with endurance strategy.

Topic

Le Mans

Le Mans is one of the most famous endurance races in the world. Drivers often dream of racing there because it’s a huge test of speed, reliability, and teamwork.

Car

GT3

GT3 is a type of race car class. It’s a set of rules that many different brands build cars to, and those cars can compete in big endurance races like Le Mans.

Concept

adaptive motorsport

Adaptive motorsport means making race cars and racing opportunities work for drivers with disabilities. It can involve special equipment or controls so the driver can compete safely and effectively.

Concept

symbiotic relationship

They’re describing a teamwork situation where both sides help each other. In racing, that usually means the driver and team communicate well so the car setup and strategy get better.

Topic

F2

“F2” is a major open-wheel racing series where drivers develop their skills. If F2 schedules more races in a year, it can make it harder for teams to enter extra cars in other events.

Topic

Miami and Canada

They’re talking about where the F2 races are happening—Miami and Canada. More races in more places can make it difficult to also race somewhere else at the same time.

Company

Andretti

Andretti is a famous racing team name in the U.S. They run cars in IndyCar and have a long history in open-wheel racing.

Concept

Indy 500

The Indy 500 is a huge open-wheel race in the U.S. Drivers and teams plan their whole season around it because it’s so important.

Car

Robert Wickens Indy 500 entry

An “entry” means a driver is officially entered to race. Here, it’s Robert Wickens getting into the Indy 500, which is a major race on the IndyCar calendar.

Company

Dan Towers

Dan Towers is the person Wickens is being asked about—someone he might talk to about the Indy 500 plan. It sounds like Towers has influence over whether that opportunity happens.

Concept

MotoGP

MotoGP is the top level of professional motorcycle racing. It’s known for intense, high-skill racing where riders push their bikes to the limit.

Concept

Formula One

Formula One is the top tier of race cars with open wheels. It’s famous for cutting-edge technology and strategy during races.

Topic

Valentino Rossi era

This phrase means the time when Valentino Rossi was the main force in MotoGP. The speaker is saying the competition changed after that period.

LIVE

When they came on the radio, they told me P1,

I just like started screaming.

I actually was like crying in my helmet.

It was just such a milestone, like an achievement

that like I belong here.

The only guarantee from paralysis is that if you do nothing,

nothing will happen.

I would love the opportunity to do an Indie 500 one day.

To have that opportunity to kind of put adaptive motorsport

on the map, I think it's something

that might need to be done.

Welcome to Speed with Harvick and Buxton,

fuelled by Poet.

And as always, we will talk racing.

And today we're going to talk racing with a good friend,

somebody whose story is so well known,

doesn't really need any more of an introduction

other than to say he is Robert Wickens.

How are you, my friend?

How are you doing, Mel?

I'm good, buddy. I'm good.

We've just been just off air talking about the kids

and white noise machines,

which are I think a core essential

for anyone with babies, right?

I got apps on my phone.

I got plugged in one, like a wireless one.

You know, we're ready to run out.

Mate, racing not long ago in Long Beach,

an amazing weekend.

For a couple of reasons,

the documentary that you guys have made,

I know a couple of our friends

got a sneaky little private peek.

It's very excited about that.

But most of all, man, just to see you out there on track,

absolutely incredible.

Pole position, leading the race.

I mean, look, this is your bread and butter, right?

This is what you do.

But it's got greater meaning

given the manner in which you now go racing.

So can you start us off by talking about

your path back to the front?

Because for the past decade,

you've had to break new ground

in order to even go racing.

Yeah, that's exactly it.

The passion to drive again after my accident never left,

which I think was probably no surprise to anyone.

But for me, it was...

I had the opportunity to get back into a race car

at Brinehart Autosport in a TCR car

with the help of Michael Johnson,

who was a paralyzed driver

that was racing for Brinehart Autosport.

And that was my entry level back in.

And so my first year of racing, again,

with hand controls in 2022,

we just basically used his system,

just bought a second satin,

and we were off and running.

The interesting bit of it was

Michael was paralyzed in a motocross accident as a kid

and then only knew four-wheeled motorsport

with hand controls.

So his braking felt natural, felt normal.

That just felt common to him.

But for me, I was envisioning this hydraulic sensation.

I wanted to recreate what I've known to love

with my feet for so many years.

And so that's been the mission for so long.

And I felt like that was gonna be the key

to unlock performance.

And also that system was really kind of

custom-fitted for a TCR car.

And I knew I wanted to go to the next step,

which was the Amsoilotech Sports Car Championship

and beyond.

I wanted to get to the highest levels

of motorsport possible.

I didn't know what that looked like at the time.

I didn't know if it was gonna stop in TCR

with Brinehart Autosport.

I didn't know if I could have the opportunities

to go onwards and upwards.

And here we are a few years later,

partnered with Bosch

with their electronic braking system.

And we put it into a Corvette Z06 GT3R

that was all fitted by Pratt and Miller

and Corvette Racing.

And here we are having fun.

Amazing, man.

So what is the sensation like?

Explain it to us.

How different is racing?

How different is driving using hand controls?

You know, I think it's obviously

a lot more common for me now

than if Will, if you sat in my car

and gave it a go, right?

For me, it all started with simulation, right?

With a home simulator on iRacing,

just, you know, my theory was, you know, 10,000 hours

and you can be a pro at anything type of thing, right?

And it was also timing-wise,

the pandemic had just started.

Esports were front and center.

So it was kind of like,

it all just aligned quite nicely.

Obviously, no one hopes for a pandemic,

but for me selfishly,

it kind of gave me a lot of free time

to just like do laps and laps and laps and laps.

And I did just that.

And it was, it wasn't easy at first.

It's still not easy.

I feel like every time I'm in the car,

I'm getting better and better.

And I felt like this year at Long Beach

kind of showed just that.

You know, I think I put together

my most complete driving performance,

probably with hand controls period

from executing and qualifying to then, you know,

starting from pole leading every lap

and handing the car over to my teammate, Mason Felipe.

And we were in for a good shot for victory

for a long time that way.

So it was, yeah, you know,

I think we're starting to get there.

I just need to get in the car more often.

I'm only doing the five sprint races this year in 2026.

Same schedule that I ran last year.

So the goal's already to get a full season in 2027.

And, you know, I feel like I have enough experience now

that if I have the opportunity,

I think I can give this thing a championship run.

You mentioned a little bit,

just in like one of your earlier answers, breaking

and the difference between what was there initially

and then what you've had to create as a result of that.

It's such an important part of racing.

People, you know, often don't realize

breaking is probably the most critical aspect of racecraft.

You're used to, with your legs, mash in the brake, right?

But then you've got to have the dexterity of feel

to be able to ease off, not lock a tire, not lock the brake.

How do you do that?

How do you get that feel,

or can you replicate that feel through hand controls?

That's where a lot of the focus went.

I would say 98% of the focus went into my braking sensation

on this new electronic braking system.

And with the controls that were developed by Pratt Miller,

what we ended up creating was,

it was also important for me,

because we can get it as complicated as we want here.

But, you know, depending on if it's a left-hand corner

or a right-hand corner, you know,

I typically brake with my right hand

so that way I can downshift the car with my left hand, right?

And then when I'm applying throttle,

I apply with my left hand so I can upshift easily, right?

Of course, yeah, that makes total sense, yeah.

I would imagine everyone's like,

oh, you don't like throttle with your right brake

with your left, you know,

that kind of how you do it with your feet.

But what's interesting about Long Beach Hairpin,

for example, really tight right-hand corner,

what ends up happening there is,

because the paddle's on the steering wheel,

when you turn, you can only reach so far.

So then I can't brake with my right anymore

and I don't have to continue braking with my left.

So it's important to have the brake

on both sides of the steering wheel

and then same with throttle on both sides of the steering wheel

because like turn six in Long Beach, for example, again,

I would have to apply throttle with my right hand

because of the amount of steering angle

I couldn't reach the throttle paddle on my left hand.

So it's one added nuance of learning tracks

is I need to figure out kind of, you know,

what am I doing with my hands?

And I'm building that Rolodex now

where as we go track the track,

I can kind of on the track walk,

going, oh, that's probably going to be a corner

where I'll have to like tip in the throttle

with one hand and switch like the corkscrew.

As hard as a corkscrew is a Laguna Seca,

I have to tip in throttle with my right hand

and as I'm falling down the hill,

I need to switch hands and grab a gear all at the same time,

which frankly caught me off guard.

So now years of experience where we're just used to it.

And is that where the 10,000 hours come in

because you're having to rewire your brain

from right foot, go fast, left foot, stop,

to being right hand, stop, left hand, go fast.

Yeah, I mean, in a way, it's so different.

I mean, I tell everyone, I think it was easier for me

to learn with hand controls than it would be for you.

And that's only because like,

when I first started driving on the Sim,

if something was happening in front of me,

my initial reaction would be to hit the brakes with my feet

as anyone's would, but then my feet wouldn't work.

So you quickly realized like, oh, that didn't work.

And then it's like, oh yeah, it's all up here.

Then you break with your hands

and you figure it all out on the Sim.

Or with you, you would physically apply a brake pedal.

Like for example, my home Sim has foot brakes

and throttles for friends and family.

And even frankly, when I got it fitted, I was like, you know,

for me, maybe like rehab, like training,

like I can apply the throttle with my right foot,

but I can't take my foot off the throttle efficiently.

So it might be a good just like hold it flat out technique,

but that's pretty much as far as I can get.

But so I think the mental connection for me,

realizing that my feet wouldn't move

with the reaction times that I want,

it made me use my hands, I think more effortlessly

than it would if you were jumped in.

So this may sound like an odd question,

but do hand controls present you with any advantages

that you hadn't expected?

Honestly, I would say no,

I mean, if I could go back to my feet tomorrow, I would.

The big thing which is important is

because I use an electronic braking system,

a brake by wire system,

between Bosch, IMSA and Corvette Racing,

they all work hand in hand from when we were developing

the system to getting it homologated

to then even we have,

IMSA has constant telemetry on my braking system

to make sure we're not gaining an advantage.

Because with electronic braking,

I can have instantaneous 2000 PSI of brake pressure,

which isn't humanly possible.

We put latencies and delays to match the human efforts

and the same thing,

I think I can only brake at a maximum of 120 bar

of brake pressure, which is on average,

the highest brake pressure you ever achieve

in a Corvette 06 GT3R, right?

And that's kind of we tune the parameters,

so there's just no way where I'm gaining an advantage.

I would say, I really don't think it is an advantage,

but given that my hand control system

bypasses the master cylinders on the car,

it also bypasses the brake bias adjustment.

So in order for me to change brake bias,

I have electronic buttons to go up and down.

So I mean, it's a lot more user friendly.

I change brake bias just as often as anyone else.

So it's not like I'm gaining advantage that way,

but yeah, I mean, I don't think there's any advantage.

I welcome anyone to give it a shot.

It's honestly like Tommy Milner, a fellow Corvette driver,

actually drove the very first shakedown

because for obvious reasons,

they wanted an able-bodied driver to do the first laps

in case it, I guess, didn't work.

So Tommy, so I mean, it didn't make sense.

That's how I'm like, let me drive it.

I want to drive this car.

Right, right.

I've had a lot of time developing it.

Yeah, and I guess advantages was probably the wrong word

for me to use in that.

I didn't want to make it seem like you were getting

an advantage by using the hand controls.

I think it's more just on,

was there anything that surprised you as a racer

in terms of kind of like the usability of it,

where it sort of surprised you and you went,

oh, this is kind of cool.

And something that maybe hadn't sort of come

into your mindset or hadn't been available

that we used to from using your feet.

I'm just trying to get into that space with you

where you're in the car and things are coming at you

in a very, very different way,

if there was anything that kind of surprised you with it.

In a positive way.

I would say developing the brake sensation

that we end up having now in the Corvette

was definitely, once I applied the brake

in reality for my first test,

I was like, oh, wow, that's exactly the sensation

I've been looking for since starting with hand controls.

And what we ended up doing is creating a small little damper

in the center part of the steering wheel

with a bunch of little tiny bumper overs and packers.

It was actually a really cool little thing,

but it's basically on the damper dyno,

of course, a race team would do that.

It's a hundred pounds per inch of travel

as kind of my spring rate.

So that's kind of what my hydraulic sensation

is all based off of.

So yeah, it's kind of to gain resolution and braking fuel.

You also have to gain a bit of physicality.

If not, it becomes too effortless

and almost like a road car break, you know?

So it's tough.

I mean, it definitely requires a lot of grip strength.

The wheelchair kind of gives me that naturally a little bit.

Now, the next step, if I could do a version two,

it'd be to work on the throttle a little bit

because we just kind of one ran out of time

and we just put a simple spring on it for stiffness.

But I think we can get pretty clever

with something there as well.

Fascinating, man.

Has your mindset changed over the past decade?

Is there a difference in the gratitude

that comes your way in terms of racing?

You know, I kind of see it go both ways.

I feel like, you know, obviously being a father first

has made me realize there's a lot more to life

than your passion,

like your profession that you love so much.

And then as a driver, you know, like I feel like

in a way, I'm trying to make up for lost time.

And eventually, I keep trying to switch myself out of that

because that's not constructive to the environment.

But I lost four years of the peak of my athletic career,

right, that I feel like I'm, you know,

I'm obviously, I'm 37 years old now.

You don't look a day over 30, mate.

Yeah, I appreciate that. I'll take that.

But, you know, but I feel like I'm just the 20

or 28 year old driver I was when I was paralyzed.

Or, you know, it's, I'm just trying to kind of

continue where I left off,

even though there was a bit of a hiatus in between.

And I do definitely take things with a lot more gratitude,

like, you know, my qualifying in Long Beach,

you know, the moment they told me I was P1,

I ultimately got bumped down to P2

and then the guy got disqualified

and I got the pole inherited back.

But there was a moment of time where I crossed the line

and I was P1, they came on the radio,

they told me P1, I just like started screaming.

And I actually was like crying in my helmet.

I was like, what am I doing?

Like this is qualifying.

Like it's not even like,

but I felt like it for me,

it was just such a milestone, like an achievement

that like I belong here, you know?

Cause obviously there's been a lot of resistance

along the way, whether it fits people saying that,

you know, I don't belong in the stuff

or it's dangerous or this or that.

Like there's no people always questioning, right?

And as a driver, I don't know if this is just me internally.

I would actually love to get other people's opinion,

but I feel like if I make an honest driver error and crash,

people will always question first

if it's because I'm disabled.

And I don't know if that's true or not, but in my head,

I'm like, so I'm always like risk first reward.

I'm making sure that I never like put a wheel off,

but then also I want to go as quickly as possible.

And when you put it on the line,

like sometimes things go south, right?

But like, I know what we had,

we had a failure in Nurburgring a couple of years ago.

And that was the first thing everyone thought was this,

like, oh, well, it's the hand controls, the hand controls,

that, you know, maybe you should stop and blah, blah.

It's like, but, you know, parts fail.

You know, it's, it could have happened to anybody.

It just happened to happen on my car with the system

that we put into the car at the time

before we introduced Bosch.

So it's, it's interesting.

But racing drivers make mistakes as well, you know?

How many times, every single weekend,

do we see drivers at the top level push too hard,

break too late, make a mistake, go into the barriers?

That's what racing drivers do.

You're pushing the envelope.

You're trying to find that extra thousandth of a second

for sure.

And again, that's the whole point of driving.

And I don't know if that's just me

and I'm on a little like internal battle that I'm fighting.

Like, I don't know if that's just,

if I'm like creating it or nothing, but like,

that's almost, that's what I feel when I'm in the car.

And even, I don't know.

I just, I don't want any headline of that I crashed

because I don't want to put any doubt, right?

This is obviously, it's a part of your story, okay?

The crash and it will always be a part of your story.

Are you sick of it?

But, you know, as you said, like if you have a crash

that people's first thoughts will be,

ah, it's the hand controls or, you know,

shouldn't be in the car, as you said.

Like, do you think people will ever judge you

on, like as you should be judged on your merits

as a racing driver or do you fear

that this will always be a part of the narrative?

Is there a desire to move beyond that?

For sure.

I mean, I feel like everyone that I compete against

just see me as a competitor.

You know, every other IMSA weather tech sports car driver

on that grid, when the helmet's on,

I don't think, at least I don't feel

like they treat me any different.

You know, I feel like I'm fought for every inch

like everyone else and that's honestly what I love so much

about motorsport is it doesn't matter of your sex,

it doesn't matter your nationality,

it doesn't matter your able-bodied, disabled body,

you know, if you can get into a race car

and you can put in a lap time, you can go fast,

like world's your oyster, you can do whatever you want to do.

And that's just what I love so much.

I'm not doing an adaptive equivalent to motorsport.

I'm racing in the weather tech sports car championship

and I think that's just the coolest opportunity.

But in terms of being sick of it, I mean,

yeah, I'm getting a little tired of seeing the crash

when it pops up on a daily basis, right?

But it's a part of my life, it's a part of my journey.

You know, you can't change your past.

All you can do is look forward and, you know, in a way,

I mean, I learned a lot about myself from that accident in 2018.

I think if you ask anyone close to me,

I feel like I'm a better human being coming out the other side

than I was heading into it, right?

I feel like you just kind of

re-prioritize your life a little bit

and you kind of realize that, like I said,

I mean, obviously being a dad took it to the next level,

but understanding there's a lot more to this world

than just your job, right?

And I'm lucky enough to have such a great one.

You were always one of the good guys, though, Robert.

Don't ever think that you weren't.

You were always one of the guys that everybody liked.

It's not like you had a sudden epiphany of,

oh, shit, I've got to stop being an asshole.

Like, you've always been one of the good guys.

I want to talk about the tech, if I can,

because I know you tested Formula E.

Obviously, you're doing IMSA at the moment.

Is this tech that can be transposed into any type of car?

It is. I mean, the geography inside the cockpit

is going to be the first hurdle, right?

I mean, with the Bosch electronic braking modules

that I use, it's the same electronic braking system

that is used in the GTP cars in the rear axle

for their hybrids in IMSA.

We just times it by two and put basically one module

for the rear axle, one module for the front axle,

and ECU in the middle, and they communicate,

and they, based off of an electronic signal

that I give on the steering wheel, my brake paddle,

it then shoots, tells the computer what to do,

and shoots up brake pressure out to the calipers.

And it's a really cool system.

It is transferable. It's very module.

I mean, anyone that can stick their head inside my car

and take a look, it looks like it belongs in a race car.

It's not like a...

For example, the first generation that I used in TCR

when we first started, it was a pneumatic actuator

that actually pushed the able-bodied brake pedal down.

So there was a whole air compressor

where the passenger seat lived

to build up the pressure

to use this pneumatic actuator all the time.

And when you looked at it, it looked strange.

There was a bunch of mechanical linkages

and everything all the way down.

I think it looked obviously a little clunky,

but it worked very well.

Where this Bosch system,

like if a stranger had stuck their head in a race car,

you wouldn't know that it's for a disabled driver, right?

And it's such a well-engineered thought-out system.

No surprise coming from Bosch.

But yeah, I mean, it would fit in anything.

It could fit in a prototype, it could fit in a NASCAR,

it could fit in an IndyCar, it could fit in a Formula E car.

I mean, you might have to move some bits around

to free up some space, depending on the car,

but yeah, it's definitely small enough.

I mean, the biggest issue would probably be the weight addition.

The beauty of, in my world, in sports car racing

is the balance of performance.

None of the cars are really running

at like the bare minimum weight.

So what we end up doing is offsetting the weight of my system,

which is roughly, I'm probably getting this wrong,

but I think it's like 10 kilos.

So it's actually not that heavy in the grand scheme of things.

And then we just removed that from like the BOP ballast.

So I'm still the same car weight as my competitors,

but just in a different manner.

So what's next?

What's the bucket list for you?

If this can be transferred to, as you say, NASCAR or IndyCar,

you're already running in an IMSA.

How about Le Mans, like Daytona 24?

Like, what's the goal for you now?

Where would you love to race?

You know, I think I love where I am in IMSA.

I just want to try to find a way to be a full-time figure

in the championship.

You know, I feel like I haven't lost an edge

from when I was kind of in my prime

in the IndyCar season in 2018.

Mentally, I feel like I'm even stronger than I was then.

My work at Android Global in the IndyCar side

as a driver coach, I feel like I'm like more analytical

and more focused on driver nuances stuff

and understanding, I feel like I'm a much more

actually well-rounded professional today

than I even was in 2018.

Because I've been on the engineering stand

for so many years, I understand,

like I feel like I'm a better communicator now in the car

because you see the ripple effect of, you know,

what a hot-headed driver can do to the humans

on the timing stand.

And as a driver, you often forget that connection.

But yeah, I mean, I feel like being a full-time driver

in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Crouch Championships

goal number one, hopefully we can make that happen

for 2027, so that would already tick bucket lists

of 24 hours of Daytona, Sea Ring 12, Petite, right?

So many great races.

GT3's already running in Le Mans,

so I wanna take that one if we could.

I mean, if we're going wish list.

And, you know, it's still close to me,

but I would love the opportunity to do an ID 500 one day.

I don't know what that looks like.

Obviously, being paralyzed in an IndyCar,

living in Indianapolis, it's very rare to have a race

with so much history and legacy

to do something that's never been done.

So I think to have that opportunity

to kind of put adaptive motorsport on the map,

I think it's something that might need to be done,

you know, and to do it and to compete.

And really what I wanna do though,

is I wanna make sure I align myself up

where I don't just wanna be like on the grid, right?

Like I wanna compete.

That's why I'm an IMSA, that's why I'm doing everything I do,

is because I know I'm capable of doing it

and aligning myself with great teammates

and a great team, we're showing that anything's possible.

And so for me, like, I think that's where the Indy 500

gets a little special, a little unique,

given, you know, we all know what that race is, right?

It takes a lot of work behind the scenes

to get competitive and I wanna make sure

that if the opportunity was there,

I'd want adults to be the right opportunity.

It would be incredible.

Any one of those would be incredible

and we'd love to see it, we'd absolutely love to see it.

We're all in there in the same year

and we can do it year on year for the next 10 years.

Let's do it, let's do it.

You mentioned your work with Andretti

and how much that's brought to you personally.

What is it like being on that other side of the fence

and being a driver coach and getting to bring

all of your experience to bear,

you know, to help other people win in the seat?

No, I think the first thought, I mean, I'm sure,

this is my first call of like real job I've ever had, right?

So normally I was just pursuing a passion

and driving race cars and thankfully getting paid

to do it for a bunch of years and now with my coaching,

like, you know, I have deliverables Monday to Friday

with reports and pre-events and post-events

and all the other stuff and it's like this new world

that I had to get used to, but it's a pretty good job.

I have to admit and I think what makes it a good job

is the feeling valued in my profession, right?

I mean, showing up at the track and upper management

asking for my thoughts on this and that

and drivers coming to me asking for it.

It's like just feeling a part of the team

and a valued part of the team at that.

It's been a really rewarding journey.

Obviously, all of us drivers are pretty unique

in how we work, so it's, yeah, it's tough.

You know, obviously like how I approach Marcus Erickson

is different to how I approach Kyle Kirkwood

and the same with Will Power and, you know,

learning kind of the give and take

on what they need in each situation.

It just kind of just comes with communication.

But yeah, I'm enjoying it and thankfully, you know,

I like to think they're enjoying me

and so far we're doing all right.

It feels like a really great kind of symbiotic relationship

for you with that team.

As you say, three great drivers

with Marcus and Kyle and Will.

I know they were looking to run a fourth car

at Indy this year for Colton.

It's not gonna happen because F2 now

is running Miami and Canada,

but I like the sound of a fourth Andretti

pulling into what we discussed before,

a Robert Wickens Indy 500 entry.

Have you discussed it with Mr. Dan Towers?

Does it come up over dinner ever?

Can't say it's come up up yet.

You know, I think, you know, it's an interesting spot

because they do employ me for my services

as a driver coach.

So, and if I did do that event for them,

obviously I wouldn't be doing that

for the most important race of the year.

So it's, I'd like to hope the idea might come up to them.

I'd love it if they would approach me with it.

They clearly already rate you as a driver,

otherwise they wouldn't have you in as a driver coach.

It feels, I know you're far too modest for this,

but it feels to me like the perfect opportunity

would be you and a fourth Andretti.

I'll bring it up with Dan when I see him

over the month of May, so you don't have to, mate.

Dude, listen, we're almost running out of time,

but we always like to ask our guests,

what's your favorite type of motorsport to watch?

Man, favorite type of motorsport to watch

for the longest time was MotoGP.

Oh, yeah?

Haven't watched it of late over the last couple of years,

but while I was over in Europe,

it was like I'd watch that more than the Formula One.

So just, you know, the racing was just so exciting.

You know, kind of the end of the Valentino Rossi era

case of Stoner, you know,

Droza and all those guys, like this, like going at it.

I think there's something about like MotoGP

is just like just putting it all out there.

It's like the next level to what we do

with four-wheel motorsport, right?

And I have some massive respect for that.

And then like anything, I mean, honestly, recently now

with my new life with Twins and Wesley

running wild around the house,

I mean, we don't even turn on the TV.

So when I'm home, like,

motor sports not really on at all.

So it's, he's on the Paw Patrol train right now.

So we're...

Oh, okay.

Yeah, but yeah, that's all right.

Paw Patrol is a big one.

We're not quite at Paw Patrol level just yet.

My little one is addicted to Mary Poppins.

Another question that we love to ask is

who do you think is the greatest driver in the world

right now, regardless of championship?

Who do you think is a cut above?

If there is, even if there is just one.

Oh, man, I mean, I think the obvious one

would have to be Max for stopping.

I mean, I think what he did,

I wasn't fully on board in his first few championships, right?

But I think what he did last year

and the way he presented himself and with the maturity

and just the ambassador for the sport that he's become,

I think he's an all-rounder.

I think if you look at how we outperform that car

compared to his teammates

and how we just maximized every single session,

like, I think any driver can respect that.

Anyone can get in a good car and win,

but to drag a car that frankly has no right

being on a podium and winning like six in a row

and like, just, man,

kind of similar to what Alex Palos

is doing currently in IndyCar, right?

It's just when you operate at that high of a level

for so long, everyone feels like they have to work harder,

but you can only work as hard as you can physically work

until you start making errors.

And that's why you see it all the time,

like final pit stop sequences,

like someone makes a mistake or on track,

someone makes them, it's like,

after these wins that Alex gets,

he puts himself in the position to win,

but they're also kind of gifted to him

in some capacity as well.

And that's just down to just the intensity

that that team operates on.

Like, they put so much pressure on their competitors

that the competitor has to be perfect to beat them.

And if you, you can only be as good as you can be, right?

If you start trying too hard, as my errors happen,

and I think that's something that we're trying to keep true

at Andretti as much as we can,

is let's just stay in our lane

and we know we're capable of winning.

We've shown we're capable of winning.

We've done it in the pits, we've done it on track,

we've done it at any capacity.

Like he's a beatable person and they just don't make errors.

So it's just making sure

that you just as buttoned up as possible.

And a great start to the season for you guys over at Andretti.

Kyle, of course, leading the championship early on.

Alex with a slim lead now heading into the month of May,

but what an amazing start you guys at Andretti have made.

When we talk about Max being, you know,

something really exceptional today,

who's your all time hero?

Do you have an all time racing hero?

Or even a hero, not in racing?

Like who's somebody that you look up to in life?

You know, I mean, I think for me,

being Canadian Ron Fellows was always a huge help.

Obviously, from what he accomplished in his sports car career,

but also what he gave back to the Canadian motorsport industry.

He started a karting championship for fellow Canadians

and myself, James Hinchcliffe, Daniel Morad,

the list can go on and on of drivers

that were given a platform to show their abilities

and to then progress from karts to cars.

You know, he's always been one that has been very selfless

in what he's done as a driver,

but then also it was post-driving career

with building up Canadian Tire Motorsports Park

to what it is today.

And he's high on the list for me of people that I look up to.

We talk as regularly as possible.

But yeah, and I think growing up as a kid,

it was hard not to idolize Michael Schumacher.

I was a big fan of Kimi Raikkonen

for his kind of like, I don't care attitude.

He was a big guy to obviously root for when I was growing up.

So yeah, I mean, I'd say that's pretty much it.

Love it.

Mate, finally, I want to go back if we can

and if you'll forgive me to the day of the accident.

And I don't want to talk about the accident itself,

but I want to know if there is one piece of advice

that you could give yourself.

Looking back at all the time that you've had since,

everything you've experienced,

what would you tell yourself in that moment

about what's about to come your way

and what you've learned, what you've experienced,

what you've learned perhaps about yourself

that you could tell yourself in that moment?

You know, I mean, the big thing is,

I would just tell myself to keep digging, right?

I mean, the hardest thing when you're fighting paralysis

and even like through the hospital stages,

but more so once I was into the rehab

and trying to get my life back,

you know, there was days, weeks, almost months sometimes

where you just got no neurological recovery

and you're just like every day for six hours a day

just trying to wiggle a toe when it's not going.

And obviously mentally it's exhausting,

but physically it's draining.

And kind of just if you could,

if someone could tell you like future you,

it's working, just believe in the system

that would have given me the light at the end of the tunnel

that I needed on most days, right?

It was, I tell everyone as physically draining

as that rehab was mentally, it was 10 times harder, right?

I mean, there wasn't probably a week that went by

where I didn't cry at some point, right?

Just wondering, cause you're just putting in so much

heart and grit into it and that's what it takes.

And, you know, Sam Schmidt words it perfectly,

you know, the only guarantee from paralysis

is that if you do nothing, nothing will happen, right?

And that was something that for me, I was like, okay,

like that resonated with me.

And it's like, well, I'm not just gonna sit here.

I've never been a guy to sit still

from birth till present.

And yeah, I mean, I think I learned about myself

that I'm a lot more resilient than I thought I was.

You know, I thought I was strong.

I thought I was brave, but sometimes, you know,

you feel like you're just telling yourself that

when you're at the gym and having a good workout, you know?

But yeah, I mean, I think seeing, you know,

I'm proud of who I am today.

I'm proud of what I've become.

I'm proud of the father that I am.

I'm happy that I have the opportunity

to do all of those things, you know?

And then on top of it, I get to drive race cars.

So it's, there's a lot to be grateful for.

And, you know, I think, yeah, I would just tell myself,

you know, when I was in the trenches

and at rock bottom that, you know, it gets better, right?

And everyone always tells you it gets better,

but you never believe it at the moment.

And I think that's kind of the hardest thing.

I love that, man.

Thank you so much.

I appreciate your time, buddy.

Really appreciate your candor.

And yeah, if there is one thing I know

that has always defined you,

it is that you are as exceptional a human being

as you are a racing driver.

And I mean that truly.

Thank you so much for being on the show, buddy.

Very, very much appreciated.

We cannot wait to see all that comes your way.

Can't wait to see the documentary

once it's at its premiere and it's finally out.

I know a lot of people who've seen it already

who say that it's absolutely brilliant,

but we wish you nothing but continued success.

Thank you so much for being on the show.

Thanks for having me, Will.

Appreciate it.

About this episode

Robert Wickens talks through his return to racing after paralysis, from early hand-control setups in a TCR car to a Bosch electronic braking system in a Corvette Z06 GT3R. He explains how he learned to adapt braking and throttle inputs, why Long Beach felt like a breakthrough, and how he’s chasing more full-time IMSA racing. The conversation also covers his work as an Andretti driver coach, his gratitude after injury, and his hopes for Daytona, Le Mans, and maybe one day the Indy 500.

10,000 hours 120 bar of brake pressure 24 Hours of Daytona adapting controls to unlock performance adaptive equivalent to motorsport adaptive motorsport air compressor Andretti balance of performance BOP ballast

Original notes

Robert Wickens opens up about his triumphant return to motorsport and the grueling physical and emotional challenges of his recovery from paralysis. He also breaks down his mastery of adaptive hand-control technology and what it means to find success again in the IMSA SportsCar Championship.On this episode of SPEED With Harvick and Buxton, Will Buxton sits down with Wickens to discuss his incredible journey from his 2018 crash to returning to the podium, the complex engineering that allows him to compete at the highest level without the use of his legs, the mental fortitude required to overcome his darkest days in rehab, his current championship pursuits with DXDT Racing, and how his definition of victory has evolved throughout the ultimate motorsport comeback. Chapters:0:00 Intro0:45 Robert Wickens Joins The Show1:10 Getting Back To Driving After The Accident5:00 Braking In Modified Vehicle8:45 Are There Advantages With The Hand Controls11:11 Surprises With Driving The Modified Vehicle13:25 Wickens Outlook On Racing16:10 Being Judged As A Driver18:30 Can This Technology Be Used Elsewhere21:25 Wickens Future Goals24:00 Being A Driver-Coach26:55 Favorite Motorsport To Watch28:00 Greatest Driver In The World30:30 Driver You Looked Up To31:35 Advice To Your Older Self34:20 Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

SPEED with Harvick and Buxton

FOX Sports

View classic page →

0:00

37:27