IndyCar – Josef Newgarden benefits from a good strategy in Toronto

Team Penske emerged victorious from the Canadian event in Toronto this Sunday, but probably not with the driver we most expected given the performances ofHelio Castroneves et simon pagenaud since the start of the weekend.

It is finally Joseph Newgarden which offers success to Roger Penske's team, after taking advantage of a timely pit stop before a neutralization, having upset the hierarchy established at the start of the race.

From third place, Helio Castroneves was the quickest to start against Simon Pagenaud, author of pole, and Graham Rahal (Team RLL – Honda). A few meters further, Scott Dixon (Chip Ganassi Racing – Honda), wanting to avoid Graham Rahal, touches Will Power (Team Penske – Chevrolet) and sends the latter against the wall.

Dixon managed to return to the pits with a damaged left rear wheel, while Power suffered a suspension problem and had difficulty returning before being pushed by his mechanics towards his position in the pitlane and retiring.

The yellow flag was displayed, allowing Scott Dixon to initially return to the track before stopping again during the neutralization to make repairs. The championship leader must also observe a drive-through for entering the pits while the lane was closed and violating the regulations in the pitlane.

After the restart at the start of the 7th lap, Castroneves, Pagenaud, Rahal and Newgarden made the gap against James Hinchcliffe (SPM – Honda) who had to face pressure from Alexander Red (Andretti-Herta Autosport – Honda). Spencer Pigot (Ed Carpenter Racing – Chevrolet), who started on the hard tires, moved back into the peloton and passed Hinchcliffe for 5th place, just before the Canadian stopped.

Kanaan turns everything upside down

On the 23rd lap, just after changing tires, Tony Kanaan (Chip Ganassi Racing) made a mistake and got stuck in the tire wall. The leaders who had not stopped plunged into the pit lane during this neutralization, but lost a lot of ground to Josef Newgarden, who had stopped to change tires just before the Kanaan exit, and who emerged in the lead. Castroneves, Pagenaud and Rahal are then in 14th, 15th and 16th positions.

On the restart on the 28th lap, Josef Newgarden then led in front of Spencer Pigot, who quickly lost several positions to the benefit of Alexander Rossi and James Hinchcliffe in particular. The order did not change in the top 3 until the next burst of pit stops, while the trio Pagenaud – Castroneves – Rahal postponed their effort until after the 55th lap to make their second stop.

With 25 laps remaining, Newgarden is ahead of Rossi, Hinchcliffe, Dixon, who still has to make a stop, Marco Andretti (Andretti Autosport – Honda), Ryan Hunter-Reay (Andretti Autosport) and Simon Pagenaud. Dixon waited until the start of the 62nd lap to stop, allowing Pagenaud to move up to sixth position.

With less than ten laps to go, the Frenchman attempted an attack on Hunter-Reay but failed to overtake the Andretti driver. The defending champion will wait for a small mistake from Hunter-Reay to gain a place a few moments later.

Newgarden finally won ahead of Rossi and Hinchcliffe, Andretti and Pagenaud completing the top 5. Hunter-Reay followed in sixth position ahead of Max Chilton (Chip Ganassi Racing), Helio Castroneves, Graham Rahal and Scott Dixon.

Race ranking

Find the report of the Toronto event in IndyCar, in issue 2123 of AUTOhebdo, available tomorrow evening in digital version, and on newsstands this Wednesday.