So many issues labored in opposition to Alex Palou in IndyCar’s Laguna Seca race however such was his almighty, tactic-shattering tempo that he gained despite his technique wanting just like the mistaken one.
At instances, Palou was virtually two seconds quicker per lap than his rivals and a 3rd win of the 12 months definitely appears to be like ominous as he seems a greater challenger to Will Energy (the earlier factors chief and Palou’s obvious closest rival once more this 12 months) than he was in 2022, the final time the pair did battle.
However there’s way more to get into from a race that featured a star workforce struggling, Romain Grosjean’s historic outcome, a driver with a damaged wrist impressing and a misplaced win that was really an excellent achievement.
The Race has picked out the winners and losers from a wild Laguna Seca race.
Winners
Alex Palou
Palou’s tempo was so good that even what seemed like a technique that will condemn him to mediocrity was saved from oblivion.
He constructed a niche of nicely over 20 seconds to a bunch of automobiles that elected to cease for a second time on lap 37 of 95 – led by Colton Herta and Alexander Rossi – pitted, rejoined in third however then drove previous the main duo in one other handful of laps as a result of they had been saving gasoline and Palou’s later cease meant he didn’t must.
Even three late cautions inside the ultimate 20 laps couldn’t cease him from successful and taking an honest factors lead.
It’s his third win of the 12 months, and his outcomes at Laguna Seca in IndyCar learn: second, first, third and first.
Frankly, he and his Ganassi workforce had been only a reduce above their rivals each on technique and the way they used that awe-inspiring tempo to maximise clear air and a tyre deficit, after utilizing two units within the quick six qualifying group.
A 3rd title in 4 years appears to be like more and more possible, except his quick oval type isn’t as much as scratch or the hybrid mixes issues up when it is launched subsequent week.
Andretti
It might need felt like a second gained and a primary misplaced for Colton Herta, however the entire Andretti workforce had the type of outcome it arguably actually wanted.
Staff-mate Kyle Kirkwood was the higher qualifier of the 2 and handed Palou not as soon as however twice, with a transfer down the skin of Flip 1 at the beginning after which once more on the similar nook after the primary pitstops.
However Herta obtained forward within the essential subsequent pitstop window, and was in the end solely overwhelmed by Palou on one other technique. Whereas Herta went for a distinct technique to Palou, you felt like every technique would have gained Palou the race given his tempo.
However after three races with crashes, Herta didn’t do something foolish and scored good factors.
Kirkwood continues to reply those that questioned whether or not he may pair consistency and his prodigious tempo. He has the very best ‘worst’ end within the collection up to now this 12 months (Eleventh on the Indy highway course) and took one other high 5 – solely two forward had been on the identical technique – his third in a row.
Herta and Kirkwood are actually fourth and fifth within the standings respectively.
Marcus Ericsson had a tough weekend as he lacked tempo in qualifying – not for the primary time this 12 months – however turned his 18th-place begin right into a fourth high 10 of the 12 months. It wasn’t his cleanest race with two offs, however loads of drivers didn’t keep away from the chaos racing that deep within the pack, and he did.
David Malukas
A Sixteenth-place end won’t be one thing to have a good time usually, however simply attending to the tip was a win for Malukas. And apart from, he’d have completed rather a lot increased and not using a puncture.
He certified an excellent twelfth for his first race since he fractured his wrist, was dropped by McLaren, after which was handed a lifeline at Shank by taking up Tom Blomqvist’s seat for the remainder of the 12 months.
Regardless of struggling along with his wrist nonetheless, he accomplished all 95 laps and would possible have been within the high 10 and forward of his team-mate Felix Rosenqvist, who began third. That was partly right down to being on the ‘Palou technique’, though Malukas had the tempo to make it work.
Extra races like that can increase extra questions on McLaren’s driver selections and push Malukas up increased nonetheless in folks’s estimations.
Rosenqvist struggled to match these on his technique and fell behind a number of the drivers on the opposite primary technique within the course of. Some brake locking additionally contributed to his eventual Eleventh-place end.
Romain Grosjean
Regardless of being offended on the driving requirements of his rivals in qualifying – he stated he had a automobile fast sufficient for pole however wound up eighth – Grosjean drove a smart and measured race.
He was boosted partly by following the ‘Palou technique’, however some epic tempo after his closing cease actually helped cement his place on the entrance.
He completed fourth, the very best race lead to Juncos Hollinger’s IndyCar historical past. After such a troublesome 12 months for Grosjean and the workforce, it was a welcome tonic that goes one higher than Callum Ilott managed at this observe final 12 months.
Santino Ferrucci
Ferrucci’s Laguna Seca race was a great reflection of his 2024; he obtained a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct within the pre-race warm-up for weaving in the direction of Romain Grosjean, after which turned a Seventeenth-place begin right into a ninth-place end that places him a strong twelfth within the factors standings.
No matter your opinion on Ferrucci, he has 5 top-10 finishes in eight races this 12 months at a workforce deemed inferior by many individuals. Foyt is clearly doing one thing proper!
Honda
A fifth Laguna win in a row cements Honda’s place as high of the producer canines after Chevrolet seemed prefer it may steal a march this 12 months.
A 1-2, 5 automobiles within the high 10, and a lockout of the primary two rows after qualifying are simply a number of the highlights, and whereas early-season unreliability mixed with the introduction of the hybrid on the subsequent race may shake issues up, Honda has had a great run exterior of the Indianapolis 500 win.
Losers
Penske
It certified seventh, 14th and fifteenth and completed seventh, nineteenth and twenty first. Any day like that for Penske is a loss.
Will Energy was the shining gentle. He was its worst qualifier in fifteenth and dropped locations in a congested begin, however then made use of an early undercut to make up spots earlier than getting his elbows out late on – together with being hit by team-mate Scott McLaughlin through a late dive at Flip 6, which successfully ended McLaughlin’s run within the high 10 all day lengthy.
Josef Newgarden had a wild day the place a pit exit infraction at his first cease earned him a drivethrough penalty, however he then used Palou’s technique and was extremely fortunate as he pitted when a warning got here out on his final cease – that means as an alternative of going to the again finish of the highest 10 after pitting from the lead, he dropped solely to second. However then he undid all that and spun at Flip 6 late on, ending nineteenth.
It leaves McLaughlin eighth within the factors, and Newgarden in ninth. Energy in the meantime stays within the hunt on the entrance, however his lead is now a 23-point deficit to Palou.
Agustin Canapino
Canapino was a career-best thirteenth in qualifying at a observe he ran confidently within the high 10 ultimately 12 months, so usurping his greatest collection results of twelfth seemed potential.
Within the race he labored his manner again the order after falling again early on, however acquired a drivethrough for clipping Kyffin Simpson right into a spin that ended his and Graham Rahal’s races – Rahal was collected within the ensuing crash – and Canapino completed 18th.
Contemplating Juncos team-mate Grosjean completed fourth, a greater outcome ought to’ve been potential – and would’ve lifted Canapino additional away from an intense Chief’s Circle struggle.
Christian Lundgaard
Lundgaard began sixth and completed fifteenth and truthfully that was a reasonably good outcome given how his race performed out.
The flashpoints had been going off on the Rainey Curve battling McLaughlin early on and gathering a brake-marker board that caught to his entrance wing, and getting a drivethrough for avoidable contact late on.
He additionally went vast on the Corkscrew and obtained totally airborne, which was definitely very spectacular to look at however not nice for the Rahal Letterman Lanigan-run automobile.
Having seemed like a cushty top-10 championship decide for this 12 months, this outcome was his fourth of the 12 months exterior of the highest 10.
With 5 of the final 9 races of the season being on ovals the place the workforce has struggled, it may very well be a troublesome finish to the 12 months. These highway course races are essential for the entire squad.
Dale Coyne
With an engine difficulty for Jack Harvey and a crash for Luca Ghiotto, Coyne suffered a double DNF at Laguna Seca.
It’s at present with out one driver for the Mid-Ohio race as Ghiotto is unavailable, and whoever it places in is prone to be somebody with out expertise of the hybrid unit that makes its debut subsequent outing.
It’s been a troublesome 12 months for the David vs Goliath workforce and it’s laborious to see how a lot it might probably enhance. At this price, will probably be very fortunate to get both automobile within the Chief’s Circle with out some success.
Rinus VeeKay
VeeKay, who’s by no means completed decrease than 14th within the championship in his profession, is Seventeenth with solely two high 10s this 12 months.
His Ed Carpenter workforce struggled with steadiness within the build-up to qualifying, the place VeeKay was twentieth, and he ended up not ending with a mechanical difficulty.