He’s on a steep learning curve but Scott McLaughlin is being backed to succeed in America’s IndyCar championship by teammate Will Power.

Three-time Supercars champion McLaughlin has made the switch to race for Team Penske in next year’s IndyCar series after several impressive test runs in 2020.

Power knows all about adjusting to the ultra-fast open-wheel series, having first raced in the Champ Car series before joining Penske in 2009.

Since then the 39-year-old Queensland product has done it all, winning the 2014 IndyCar championship and in 2018 becoming the first Australian to win the iconic Indianapolis 500.

Power says McLaughlin’s sensational Supercars record in the past four years shows he’s got what it takes to be a hit in the United States.

“From the first couple of tests I saw of him, I really expect him to do very well,” Power told AAP.

“He’s had a number of years at a very high level in a very competitive, high level series.

“He knows what it takes to do that.

“It’s no different in any series around the world, so I expect he will be very competitive at times.

“Obviously it’ll be a bit of a learning curve but I think he’s going to end up being in a great position.”

Power is also expecting Team Penske to be a force to be reckoned with in 2021 after billionaire owner Roger Penske ended his involvement in the Supercars championship.

“I don’t know all the reasons why, but I have a feeling they’ve put a lot of focus on what he’s doing over here,” Power said.

“Obviously they’ve wrapped up the sports car program as well so they’ll be a lot of effort going into IndyCar and NASCAR.

“It frees up some really good people as well from the sports car program over here, to come into the IndyCar program,” he said.

“It probably makes us a bit stronger.”