The season ahead will be the New Zealander’s fourth in the category full-time, again with Team Penske.

Last year, he finished a career-best third in the series but was also best of the three Penske drivers; a stable which includes two, two-time IndyCar champs in Will Power and Josef Newgarden.

McLaughlin also brought his tally of race wins up to four with a victory at Barber Motorsports Park, the only one for his team on a road course (or street circuit) in 2023.

“I think ever since I won my first race, I knew that every year after that, every year I come into the sport now, I’m going to have a legitimate shot, knowing that the tools I have at hand and where I am in my development as an IndyCar driver,” he said.

“I never come out and say I’m going to win the championship; I don’t.

“[But] I know that I’ve got the tools to. I feel like I’m in the best possible spot I’ve ever been for a long time, but even probably better than last year.

“But, it’s the same for everyone. Everyone comes in and says the same thing, that they feel better and whatever. It’s just a matter of doing your talking on the track.

“I feel comfortable. I knew what we could do last year. I knew that I could beat Will and Josef in the championship, and especially when I had an opportunity to.

“It was a matter of me and Ben coming together and working out exactly what I wanted, and we had a really strong stretch. That was what really made it happen.

“I think we can certainly do that; with the championship side, we can have a really good run and put ourselves in position to hopefully finish off the year in a position that we are in contention for the championship.”

‘Ben’ is Ben Bretzman, McLaughlin’s engineer, who remains on Car #3 in 2024, as does strategist Malcolm Finch.

“It hasn’t been finalised just yet, but I know for a fact that Ben’s going to be my engineer and whatnot, and Malcolm is… it’s fantastic to have that same core group; we get along very well,” he confirmed.

“It’s no secret that we play a lot of golf and hang out outside of the track, but that’s how we work together.

“We have this pretty seamless sort of feeling between all three of us, and it’s a nice feeling knowing that they’re in your corner.

“Malcolm’s been with me since I came to America. He’s a super good guy and super smart guy. Lucky to have the pair of them.

“But at the same time, our car and the 12 car [Power] and the 2 car [Newgarden], it’s a very good group and a lot of motivation in the group this year to go bigger in ’24 and hopefully bring the Astor Cup back.”

The opening event of the season takes place on the Streets of St Petersburg on the weekend of Sunday, March 10.