Detroit, Race: Dixon stronger than Caution repeatedly | FP

Endless race

Eight cautions and rain fell only partially halfway through the race, but was decisive in creating real strategic chaos. An endless race on the narrow Detroit street circuit that ultimately rewarded an IndyCar veteran like Scott Dixon, to his second victory of the season after Long Beach, when also in that case Chip Ganassi’s New Zealander managed to successfully complete a race full of constant question marks regarding strategies. To make Dixon’s statement even more exhilarating, his too fuel management in the final laps, resisting the return of Marcus Ericsson, got rid of the second Chip Ganassi of Marcus Armstrong only on the penultimate lap. The latter, in any case, can still celebrate his first podium in IndyCar. However, the performance of the new winner of the Indianapolis 500 was disastrous Josef Newgardeneven second to last after damage to the suspension.

Race report

The sixth round of the championship opened with Colton Herta in pole position followed by Alex Palou and the two Penskes of McLaughlin and Newgarden, but above all with a few drops of rain on Detroit. A race immediately interrupted by the first of numerous Cautions due to contact between Pourchaire and Power at turn 3, a point where similar incidents occurred over the course of a total of 100 laps. The first pit stops were already made during the tenth lap, one of which was particularly interesting and was completed by Lundgaard who returned just before the Caution. The real chaos, however, resulted in a long interlude that lasted from the 32nd to the 74th lap: It all started with another Caution called following McLaughlin’s impact with the barriers while the latter was in 2nd place. An episode that pushed many drivers to make their first pit stop to change tyres, but once they exited the pit lane to place themselves behind the Pace Car the intensity of the rain increased, to the point that all the drivers (except Lundgaard, Kirkwood, Power and Grosjean) immediately returned to the pits to mount the wet tires. However, immediately after the restart, Veekay spun, with Race Direction issuing another Caution on lap 41. In those same moments, the rain disappeared completely. This necessarily pushed the riders on wet tires to return once again to switch to dry tyres. A choice that thus rewarded the few who had not opted for wet tyres, with the race then interrupted several times immediately after the restart due to other contacts. On lap 60, again at a time characterized by other stops, Dixon and Armstrong remained on the track ahead of Kirkwood, opting to save fuel until the finish line. From lap 74, i.e. from the moment the last Pace Car left the scene, the two New Zealanders managed fuel consumption as best as possible, but in the final phase of the Detroit round, former F1 player Marcus Ericsson gradually recovered on the duo of Chip Ganassi, managing to overtake Armstrong on the penultimate lap but not completing the feat of victory over the six-time IndyCar champion

Detroit 2024, order of arrival

Next appointment

After the Indianapolis 500 and tonight’s test in Detroit, IndyCar will return to the track next weekend. The US series will stop on the road circuit of Road AmericaWisconsin, from Friday 7 to Sunday 9 June.