The Month of Could arrived this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway – a minimum of on the highway course.
In step with the traits of the season, that seemingly meant a pair issues. First: Alex Palou continued to crush the NTT IndyCar Sequence area. The Spaniard received for the fourth time in 5 races to open the 2025 season – and his solely loss on the 12 months was a runner-up run at Lengthy Seaside. Unimaginable stuff.
For an extended whereas, it additionally appeared just like the development of caution-free racing would proceed. Sure, there was technically a warning to start out Saturday’s race. Nevertheless it got here on the opening lap of the occasion, when Josef Newgarden was compelled to pit highway from sixth with a difficulty. From there the race largely went caution-free, leaving methods to play out organically with none alterations from a yellow.
Then, it lastly occurred. The warning flag flew.
Past that, it was one other conventional IndyCar affair, with some surprises, a constant winner and some drivers with notable points. Listed here are the winners and losers from the Sonsio Grand Prix.
Winner: IndyCar sees an honest-to-God warning flag
David Malukas didn’t do a lot else of notice on Saturday, however he gave us this.
Did a lot come of it? No. However a minimum of the IndyCar area proved that it’s, certainly, able to producing a warning flag.
Loser: Andretti International’s Indy misfortune continues
Colton Herta, Andretti International
Picture by: Penske Leisure
Andretti International began its Indy weekend on a bitter notice, failing to place a single driver within the Quick 12.
It solely obtained worse from there.
The most effective qualifier within the bunch, Colton Herta, rolled off thirteenth. However he broke a entrance wing after gentle contact with Christian Lundgaard close to the top of Lap 2 and needed to pit instantly, catching his crew off guard and derailing his race.
Behind Herta, Marcus Ericsson took an early journey off-course and made it simply seven laps with a automotive that was clearly ailing. “I don’t know what it was,” he informed FOX Sports activities of his problem. “One thing broke, clearly. We misplaced energy.”
Kyle Kirkwood had a relatively calm race, however began deepest among the many trio in twenty first. He needed to struggle to rally to eighth at race’s finish. Herta briefly fought again onto the lead lap, however finally retired in twenty fifth – simply forward of Ericsson in twenty sixth.
Winner: Alex Palou.
Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing
Picture by: Penske Leisure
Yep. He did it once more. All you are able to do is respect the No. 10 workforce’s greatness at this level.
Loser: Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
Graham Rahal, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
Picture by: Penske Leisure
Sure, Palou took the pole on Friday. However the discuss of qualifying was the trio of drivers at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Graham Rahal had snagged a entrance row spot in second, Louis Foster was one spot again in third and Devlin DeFrancesco additionally cracked the top-five in fifth.
All indicators pointed to a much-needed turnaround for one among IndyCar’s struggling organizations. As an alternative, the group was left to marvel what might’ve been after a tough day. Rahal led a stable chunk of the race, however pale to sixth after an ill-timed pit cease when his tire technique failed to reveal fruit. Foster merely pale to an Eleventh-place consequence, whereas Devlin DeFrancesco suffered a pit highway stall and wound up seventeenth at race’s finish.
Winner: New tire rule yields assorted methods
Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing tire element
Picture by: Penske Leisure
In an effort to boost the racing product, INDYCAR officers rolled out a brand new tire rule heading into Saturday’s showdown on the Indy highway course. Groups must use two units of every tire – each the softer reds and first blacks – in the course of the race. Tire allotments remained the identical, with groups provided 5 units of primaries and 4 units of the alternate tire for the weekend.
The top consequence was a strategy-filled weekend, with groups managing tires and when to take them all through each qualifying and the race. Palou managed to save lots of a set of unused, sticker reds for his last qualifying run and blitzed the remainder of the Quick 6 for the pole. In Saturday’s race, Graham Rahal began on sticker reds and shot previous Palou, who was on used reds, within the opening corners when the race went inexperienced.
From there, drivers combined issues up. Palou cycled by his used primaries, whereas Rahal went with a recent set. Scott McLaughlin began on recent primaries and cycled by to 3rd with forward of Devlin DeFrancesco with used reds.
These variations in tire selections continued all through the race, including intrigue to an occasion that would have performed out in additional formulaic vogue. Opinions on the choice to vary the tire guidelines could also be cut up given IndyCar’s sect of traditionalist followers and rivals, however the transfer did present an fascinating technique battle in Indianapolis.
Loser: Kyffin Simpson’s day ends earlier than it will probably start
Kyffin Simpson, Chip Ganassi Racing
Picture by: Penske Leisure
Heading into Saturday’s race, Kyffin Simpson had cause for optimism. He’d certified tenth – slotting forward of legendary teammate Scott Dixon, matching his career-best consequence and giving himself an opportunity to attain his second IndyCar top-10.
Then his automotive suffered a mechanical problem earlier than the race and he by no means even noticed the inexperienced flag.
Womp womp. However a minimum of it occurred now and never within the Indy 500, eh?
Winner: Championship hopefuls salvage their days
Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing
Picture by: Penske Leisure
On a day when Palou was doing his factor and a handful of rivals suffered early setbacks, these hoping to make good points within the standings wanted to reduce the injury and put collectively stable runs.
It’s no shock, then, that the back-half of the top-five was crammed with veterans and potential title contenders who did simply that. Pato O’Ward quietly rose from eighth to second. Will Energy snagged the ultimate spot on the rostrum from seventh. Scott McLaughlin held serve from qualifying in fourth, whereas Scott Dixon once more managed a mercurial drive to in some way take fifth from sixteenth. Kyle Kirkwood made essentially the most of a tough day, rising from twenty first to eighth.
These aren’t all glamorous outcomes or memorable days. However they’re the kind of effort that makes the distinction within the season-ending standings.
Loser: Title-hopeful trio undergo early setbacks
Josef Newgarden, Group Penske
Picture by: Penske Leisure
Josef Newgarden, Christian Lundgaard and Felix Rosenqvist all intend to play a task on this season’s championship struggle – and outdoors of Newgarden, they largely have up up to now. However the trio all suffered disappointing days after early hassle in Indianapolis.
Newgarden’s problem was once more not his doing. The Tennessean did his job on Friday, qualifying sixth. However an MGU problem despatched him to pit highway simply because the race was meant to go inexperienced. The beginning was delayed, which aided his finish consequence, however Newgarden needed to rally from deep within the area to salvage twelfth.
The problems for Lundgaard and Rosenqvist had been self-induced. Lundgaard spun his tires and dedicated a pit highway infraction at pit exit, leading to a penalty. Rosenqvist suffered a spin on lap 26 after an try and dive below Rinus VeeKay went awry.
Neither driver had an terrible consequence – Rosenqvist surged again to tenth and Lundgaard crept residence a quiet sixteenth – however these kind of small errors make an enormous distinction when Palou appears impervious to strain.
Winner: IndyCar enters the Month of Could in Indianapolis
Followers
Picture by: Penske Leisure
There’s been nothing flawed with this IndyCar season. Races have unfolded organically with little in the best way of race management rulings or different off-track drama to shroud occasions in controversy. Nevertheless it’s honest to say Palou’s dominance and the shortage of cautions has made for a milquetoast open to the 2025 season.
Fortunately for IndyCar, the subsequent race on the calendar is something however predictable. The 12 months’s first oval race at all times guarantees to convey totally different challenges and shake up the sector. This one additionally simply occurs to be the largest race of all of them – the Indy 500.
With the uncertainty over who will get to kiss the milk, multi-discipline star Kyle Larson within the area and the overall flare and circumstance of the Best Spectacle in Racing up subsequent, the IndyCar area might get a wholesome shakeup heading into its summer season stretch run.
Comply with all of the IndyCar information and motion this season at our devoted IndyCar information hub.
Images from Indianapolis Roadcourse – Race
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