The last lap of the 500 Miglia of 2023
The latest edition of Indianapolis 500 gave a spectacular and very high tension finale. In fact, after the pace car returned to the pit lane, the fight for the victory between Marcus Ericsson and Josef Newgarden it was only decided on the last lap, and not without controversy. In an attempt to defend the lead gained shortly before the finish line, Newgarden repeatedly moved left and right out of curve 4 to not allow the Swede to exploit the trail effect, succeeding in his aim.
The maneuver
A maneuver renamed 'Newgarden move' in the United States, but which also ended up at the center of criticism for its dangerousness. The Team Penske driver has indeed passed the line that delimits the entrance to the pit lane, and then sharply returns to the right to launch towards Victory Lane. All this without going too far from the internal protection barriers.
In order to increase the level of safety on the track, this type of maneuver will no longer be allowed starting from the 2024 season: “What Josef did seemed too aggressive to us – president of IndyCar – no problem with what happened in the past, but from now on it can't happen again”. It is not yet clear, however, what the sanctions will be for drivers who violate this new regulation and how the new rules will be applied, whether exclusively in the vicinity of the pit lane or more generally in any part of the circuit. Further details will be clarified on the eve of the 2024 season.
#Stop #39Newgarden #move39
