The stat sheet will present Christian Lundgaard charging from tenth to complete second within the Kids’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix, however there may be nonetheless discontent from the 24-year-old Dane realizing a victory was in play at Barber Motorsports Park.
Lundgaard was a pressure from the drop of the inexperienced flag, chopping by way of the sphere and elevating to 3rd after the preliminary cycle of pit stops. He discovered the lead by the midway mark of the 90-lap race in the course of the subsequent pit cease cycle, and was making vital floor with the softer alternate tires on race chief Alex Palou (Chip Ganassi Racing).
When Palou pitted for the final time on Lap 65, Lundgaard maximized the chance for clear observe and went for the overcut, which was solely enhanced because the Spaniard’s out-lap was impacted by visitors.
Lundgaard introduced his #7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet to pit lane 4 laps later, swapping out for the favorable more durable main tires. Nonetheless, a snag with the right-rear delayed the pit cease, costing him precious time as he got here out in 11s behind Palou for the race lead, and immediately behind Graham Rahal (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing) in third place.
Ultimately, Lundgaard, who led 10 laps, was in a position to get round Rahal to safe second.
“All the things you simply stated sounds nice besides the P2 half,” Lundgaard stated.
“I believe we had a race-winning automobile immediately. Clearly it is irritating, the previous many few races, we have produced such nice race vehicles on Sunday. We have been missing on Saturday. It is simply irritating.
“Clearly you win races on Sunday, in order that’s when it’s worthwhile to have automobile. I believe we have to put ourselves in higher positions. I believe even with the tempo and the way the race panned out immediately, we had the automobile to win the race, we had the tempo, we had the observe place on the time.
“I am probably not positive what occurred within the pit cease. I am undecided I can actually remark an excessive amount of on it. Once more, it is unlucky. Clearly got here out behind Graham there on the final stint and simply needed to essentially get that second place for the workforce, as properly. It wasn’t only for me. That is the place we have been. A minimum of with a bobble on pit street, let’s get the identical end result, not worse. We had the tempo. Bought by Graham. That was good.”
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The end result marks Lundgaard’s second podium of the season and vaults him to 3rd within the championship standings, 35 factors behind Kyle Kirkwood (Andretti International). Nonetheless, he’s nonetheless looking for his second profession victory, and first with Arrow McLaren.
Lundgaard went into the ultimate pit cease “completely” feeling that he was in place to win the race, however admitted he was not sure of the hole between himself and Palou.
“He pitted earlier than we did on that third stint,” Lundgaard stated. “I mainly pulled in round 4 and a half seconds on him on the stints. On my manner up right here (to the post-race press convention), I used to be instructed that the visitors that he had as he got here out for the final stint, we’d have cleared him on a standard pit cease.
“Clearly the tempo was there to win the race. I believe it could have been a good and sq. battle on the final stint if that will have been the case. We sit right here now and it wasn’t the case, so… there’s probably not a lot to say to it. I believe total we had a race-winning automobile immediately.”
And regardless that it was Lundgaard’s greatest qualifying outing of the season, he believes beginning additional up the grid would have made a major distinction.
“If we’d have began three positions additional up, I believe our race would have been very completely different,” he stated.
“We should be higher on Saturdays.”
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