Álex Palou (Ganassi) secured his sixth win of the season by decisively winning at Portland ahead of Felix Rosenqvist and Will Power: the Spaniard further strengthens his position as leader.
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The thirteenth round of the IndyCar season did not offer much suspense.
Over the 110 laps scheduled at Portland, Palou once again demonstrated his mastery to continue his march towards a fifth crown.
Palou makes the difference in the pits
Starting second behind poleman Felix Rosenqvist (MSR), the Chip Ganassi Racing driver did not manage to take the lead at the start. The Swede, winner of the Indianapolis 500 this season, maintained the lead in the early laps.
The only caution of the race occurred as early as lap 7 after a crash by Graham Rahal (RLL). The green flag was waved three laps later and the race was then able to proceed without further interruption. Second after the first stint, Marcus Ericsson (Andretti) was the first of the leaders to pit at the end of lap 24. It was during this first sequence of stops that Palou built his victory.
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After his pit stop, the Spaniard emerged ahead of Rosenqvist on lap 33 thanks to a clever undercut. Josef Newgarden, on a different strategy after having benefited from the early race caution, then temporarily found himself in the lead. Once the Penske driver made his second stop, Palou regained the lead and was never truly challenged again. The four-time IndyCar champion perfectly controlled his pace and tire management until the checkered flag.
Malukas loses big, Grosjean 17th
He thus secured his sixth win of the season, further extending his championship lead and taking another step towards a fifth title. Rosenqvist had to settle for second place after leading the early stages of the race, while Will Power (Andretti) completed the podium ahead of an excellent Rinus VeeKay (Juncos) and his teammate Kyle Kirkwood, still in contention for the title but more than 100 points behind leader Palou.
The day was much less favorable for David Malukas (Penske). Second in the championship before the event, the Penske driver could do no better than 12th, losing valuable points to Palou. Further down the order, Mick Schumacher finished 16th behind the wheel of his Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing car. Romain Grosjean (Coyne) crossed the line just behind the German, in 17th position, four places behind his teammate Dennis Hauger, best rookie.
The IndyCar championship will continue next weekend with the Canadian round held on the street circuit of Markham, in the suburbs of Toronto. In the meantime, this Portland Grand Prix can be rewatched by Belgian viewers on VOO Sport World this Wednesday at 9 PM.
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