Andretti World’s Marcus Ericsson ended a 63-race winless drought with a dramatic late cost to go Romain Grosjean and win the inaugural Ontario Honda Sellers Indy at Markham.
After pitting from the lead with 21 laps remaining and droppping to seventh, Ericsson stormed again on recent alternate tires, handed Grosjean for the lead with 5 laps to go and coasted to victory by 7.5305s on the 12-turn, 2.19-mile momentary avenue circuit. It’s Ericsson’s fifth profession IndyCar victory and first since St. Petersburg in 2023.
“Yeah, it has been lengthy sufficient,” mentioned Ericsson, 35. “We labored so laborious and the #28 crew, RVI Group’s Honda right now was unbelievable, but it surely does not come as a shock. We have had such yr, we have been working each weekend, getting stronger and stronger, qualifying up entrance each weekend. We’d not have gotten the outcomes we deserve each weekend. Actually felt like we deserved it and we needed to work for it right now. We needed to work for it yesterday, so it was nice.”
The consequence additionally marks Grosjean’s first podium for the reason that 2023 season (Barber). Will Energy, who began twenty fifth and final, completed third to provide Andretti two automobiles on the rostrum.
Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou completed fourth, forward of Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward.
The Race
Pole-sitter Louis Foster (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing) led the sector to the inexperienced flag on the alternate begin between Turns 5 and 6, and instantly constructed a 1s hole over front-row starter Christian Lundgaard. As the sector received sorted, rookie Caio Collet was pressured to pit after a flat tire and bent toe hyperlink on his #4 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet.
Felix Rosenqvist, who began twentieth, was the primary to go off technique, primarily attributable to a gradual puncture seemingly from the opening lap contact with Collet, and dove to pit lane on Lap 5, swapping off a set of more durable main tires to softer alternates on his #60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda.
The lead for Foster widened to 1.8553s over Lundgaard, with McLaughlin sitting 3s behind in third.
The primary frontrunner, sixth-place Rinus VeeKay, pitted on Lap 12 to go off sequence to a three-stopper.
On Lap 14, the primary warning of the race got here out after rookie Mick Schumacher, who was working eighth, crashed in Flip 4, struggling important right-front harm to his #47 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda, ending his day.
With the pits open, Lundgaard opted to relinquish second and are available for service, with Foster and several other others staying out. Graham Rahal, Rosenqvist, Santino Ferrucci, and Romain Grosjean additionally dove to pit lane.
The restart got here on Lap 18, with Foster getting away as soon as extra whereas Hauger, who restarted within the high 5, started tumbling down the working order to twentieth over the subsequent two laps.
The problems continued for Rosenqvist, as he was left to retire earlier than reaching 20 laps within the race attributable to gasoline strain issues.
Crew Penske’s David Malukas gave up his place among the many high 10 to pit on Lap 21, moments after a radio name of continued frustrations over the braking system.
Foster’s lead over McLaughlin stood at 1.4828s by Lap 25. In the meantime, Palou pitted from fifth the subsequent lap. McLaughlin pitted on Lap 28, elevating Ericsson to second. Ericsson pitted on Lap 30, with Alexander Rossi and Will Energy additionally moving into for service.
On Lap 31, the warning got here out after Meyer Shank Racing’s Marcus Armstrong spun and stalled in Flip 5. Armstrong tried to get again going, however stalled as soon as extra at a bizarre angle as the sector glided by, leaving the likes of McLaughlin to gradual sufficient that the engine stalled briefly and dropped positions. McLaughlin was allowed to regain the positions misplaced, and returned as much as sixth.
The pits opened up on Lap 33, with Foster main Kyle Kirkwood and Scott Dixon into pit lane, handing the result in Arrow McLaren’s Nolan Siegel.
Siegel led the sector to the inexperienced flag on Lap 35, with Grosjean in second. Nevertheless, the yellow flag got here out moments later as Dixon was spun by Hauger and picked up Christian Rasmussen in Flip 8. Whereas Dixon was in a position to proceed on and return to the pits with important left-rear suspension harm, Rasmussen retired on the scene.
The restart got here on Lap 40, with Siegel as soon as once more but it surely was Grosjean who managed to take the lead on the hairpin nook. In the meantime, the person on the transfer was Foster, who drove via the likes of Palou, Energy, and Rahal as much as fourth.
Foster’s cost got here to an finish as he tried a dive on Ericsson for third, however clipped the within wall and bounced into the skin barrier of Flip 3 on Lap 43, bringing out one other warning.
Siegel and Rahal pitted beneath warning on Lap 44.
Grosjean led the sector to the inexperienced flag on Lap 50, with Ericsson instantly on his rear wing.
Grosjean dove to pit lane on Lap 53, simply as a warning got here out for Kirkwood hitting the wall in Flip 3 in an an identical crash to Foster’s.
Marcus Ericsson, Andretti World
Picture by: Saad Munwar
Ericsson led the sector to the restart on Lap 58, however the warning returned as soon as extra a lap later after Crew Penske’s Josef Newgarden and Siegel got here collectively in Flip 5.
Though the likes of Energy, Rahal, Lundgaard, O’Ward, Ferrucci, Sting Ray Robb, and Rossi pitted, Ericsson continued to remain out.
The restart got here on Lap 62, with Ericsson getting an enormous bounce on Grosjean.
Ericsson managed to tug off a 6.9420s lead over Grosjean by Lap 66. Grosjean was additionally a couple of automotive lengths forward of McLaughlin, Malukas and Palou. Ericsson’s lead stretched to 13.4s.
Ericsson dove to pit lane on Lap 69, swapped to a recent set of softer alternates, and rejoined fifth earlier than shedding two positions over the next laps to VeeKay and Energy.
In the meantime, Grosjean held a 1.632s lead over McLaughlin.
With 18 laps to go, McLaughlin fell to 3rd as Palou received by in Flip 6. The lead for Grosjean stood at 2.1s.
Though Palou clawed the hole right down to 1s, he made a mistake and overshot the apex in Flip 6 and dropped right down to 3s again. Nevertheless, he clawed again to inside 2s the subsequent lap.
Grosjean held a 1.4657s lead over Palou with 12 laps to go, with Energy and Ericsson on the cost because the Andretti teammates jumped to 3rd and fourth, respectively.
Two laps later, Grosjean prolonged his hole to 2.0991s over Palou.
As Energy caught Palou on the hairpin with 9 laps to go, Ericsson dove beneath Energy and the 2 made wheel-to-wheel contact however continued on. Ericsson took over third, and was inside a automotive size of Palou as Energy was left with soiled tires from being hit off-line.
Ericsson dove beneath Palou with seven laps to go, taking up second and a couple of.6s behind Grosjean.
Marcus Ericsson, Andretti World
Picture by: Saad Munwar
Grosjean’s lead dropped quickly to 0.8s with six laps to go. In the meantime, Energy received round Palou for third.
With 5 laps to go, Ericsson was on the rear wing of Grosjean and took the lead into Flip 9.
Ericsson shortly pulled a spot of two.3s over Grosjean with 4 laps to go. The lead progressed to five.7s coming to the ultimate lap. Ericsson quickly pulled clear after taking the lead and crossed the road 7.5305 seconds forward of Grosjean, with Energy finishing the rostrum.
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