By finishing ninth after 250 laps of racing, Romain Grosjean achieves his best result at the Indy 500 and wins the “Biggest Mover” trophy, awarded for the most incredible comeback.
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Romain Grosjean may not have won the Indianapolis 500, but the Frenchman leaves Indiana with a particularly strong performance.
Starting only 24th on the grid, the Dale Coyne Racing driver finished in a remarkable 9th place, his best personal result in the legendary American event.
Great comeback
This spectacular comeback allowed him to receive the “Biggest Mover” trophy, rewarding the driver who gained the most positions during the race (photo above).
However, the start of the race was far from ideal for Grosjean. Early on, placed on a strategy different from that of his direct competitors, the Frenchman found himself a lap behind the leaders. But in a particularly eventful edition, marked by multiple neutralizations, rain, and complex fuel strategies, the situation gradually turned in his favor.
The French driver even had the opportunity to lead a lap at Indianapolis, a moment always symbolic in such a prestigious race.
Despite a penalty
His progress was not entirely linear, however. Grosjean had to deal with a penalty after an overtaking under yellow flag on Christian Lundgaard at the pit entry. Despite this setback, his car proved increasingly competitive over the course of the stints.
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In the final laps, the Frenchman even seemed capable of aiming much higher than a simple top 10. His excellent fuel management gave him an interesting strategic advantage before the neutralization caused by Caio Collet’s accident.
But this yellow flag completely reshuffled the cards in the final sprint: “The conditions were not easy. The car had its ups and downs, but it woke up at the end. These last yellow flags hurt us a little bit. I think without them, we would have finished third. But I’m happy to have made the biggest comeback of the race, even if we wanted a bit more.”
Tribute to Kyle Busch
The Frenchman’s weekend also had a strong emotional dimension. His car bore the number 18 with a design inspired by Joe Gibbs Racing, in tribute to Kyle Busch, who passed away a few days earlier.
On social media, Grosjean praised his team’s work and expressed his pride after this comeback from the back of the grid. For his fourth participation in the Indy 500, the Frenchman has not yet achieved the result of his dreams, but he confirmed that he remains capable of playing a leading role in major American events.
The IndyCar season continues this weekend in Detroit with then a very busy schedule with no less than twelve rounds in fifteen weeks this summer, giving Grosjean many opportunities to stand out.
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