IndyCar – Hinchcliffe leads Bourdais at Long Beach

At ease on the Long Beach urban track, the single-seaters powered by the Honda unit confirmed their racing potential last night in Long Beach, California, with the success of James Hinchcliffe (SPM – Honda) ahead of Sébastien Bourdais (Dale Coyne Racing – Honda).

The poleman Helio Castroneves (Team Penske – Chevrolet) had missed its big start at the start, falling beyond the top 5 and leaving Scott Dixon (Chip Ganassi Racing – Honda), James Hinchcliffe and Ryan Hunter-Reay (Andretti Autosport – Honda) seize the top 3 before the first race neutralization occurred on the first lap after contact between Charlie Kimball (Chip Ganassi Racing – Honda) and Will Power (Team Penske – Chevrolet).

The opportunity for several drivers, including Sébastien Bourdais playing with a car damaged by debris, to return to the stands. On the restart, if Scott Dixon maintains the advantage, Ryan Hunter-Reay gets rid of James Hinchcliffe to gain second place.

Positions are exchanged at the front depending on strategies and pit stops between Dixon, Hinchcliffe, as well as Ryan Hunter-Reay, Josef Newgarden (Team Penske- Chevrolet) and Alexander Red (Andretti Herta Autosport – Honda) still in the top positions.

A neutralization occurs again a little over twenty laps from the finish after Rossi was immobilized on the track. James Hinchcliffe then took the lead after the last stops ahead of Ryan Hunter-Reay, Sébastien Bourdais and Josef Newgarden. Hunter-Reay will be the big loser at the end of the race, after abandoning due to a technical problem, allowing Sébastien Bourdais to recover a position.

The leading trio will no longer evolve, Hinchcliffe winning ahead of Bourdais and Newgarden, author of his first podium for his new Penske team. Dixon and simon pagenaud (Team Penske – Chevrolet), although he started last after seeing his times canceled in qualifying, entered the top 5.

Sébastien Bourdais thus retains control of the championship ahead of Hinchcliffe and Pagenaud.

Long Beach Grand Prix standings

Discover the full report of the Long Beach Grand Prix in AUTO issue 2109hebdo, available this evening in digital version, and this Wednesday on newsstands.