New aero kits may create more passing in Indy Grand Prix
INDIANAPOLIS » Simon Pagenaud expects the IndyCar Grand Prix to be very different from the first four races. So does just about everyone else in Gasoline Alley.
The expected warm temperatures and breezy conditions could change racing conditions on Saturday. New aero kits are expected to create better drafting. A smoother asphalt surface is expected to make cars less sensitive. And this time, winning the pole may not be the surest path to victory lane.
The combination is expected to create more passing and a better overall show for the fans, a perfect combination for race organizers.
“You can follow closer and not get as affected as before,” said Pagenaud, a twotime race winner. “So there’s more (passing) opportunities for sure. Now we’ll see how many restarts there are because here it’s always very exciting on restarts because it’s such a long straightaway. There’s a lot of action into Turn 1.” There are plenty of uncertainties, too. By condensing the weekend schedule from three days to two, drivers had only two short practice sessions before qualifying. All 24 drivers will have one more 30-minute tuneup on the 2.439-mile, 14turn road course Saturday morning.
The limited track time may explain why some familiar names — Marco Andretti, Scott Dixon, Graham Rahal and Ryan Hunter-Reay — failed to reach the second round of qualifying. Pagenaud, Alexander Rossi, Helio Castroneves and Tony Kanaan were all eliminated in the second round and defending series champion Josef Newgarden barely made the final qualifying group.
Will Power won his third Indy GP pole with a fast lap of 1:09.8182 on his final run of the day.
Everyone seems to expect an increase in the kind of daring moves that can create intrigue, consternation and anger. Possibly crashes, too.
Sebastien Bourdais knows just how dicey it can be. He complained publicly about everything from IndyCar rulings to his fellow drivers after successfully negotiating one of this season’s best passes at Long Beach — only to have it negated by a penalty for using pit lane.
The Frenchmen who drives the Dale Coyne Racing Honda expects to heat up again this weekend.
“Just a lot of passing opportunities (here), and especially with the new aero kit this year,” Bourdais said. “I think it will be quite an interesting race, and even more No. 18 things so if the weather comes into play.”
Red Bull keeping drivers on tight leash after Baku crash
BARCELONA, SPAIN » Things have changed at Red Bull. The team appears to be putting a limit on the freedom it gives its drivers after seeing them crash into each other in the last Formula One race in Azerbaijan.
Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen know Red Bull is not going to sit and watch again as they bang wheels and risk crashing out. They said ahead of this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix that there won’t be team orders, but Red Bull will intervene if it feels the drivers’ actions are hurting the team. Both drivers left Baku with zero points. “If it got to that point again, where there’s banging wheels and stuff, then yeah,” Ricciardo said.