the new zealand Scott McLaughlin (Team Penske) achieved the first victory of his IndyCar career this Saturday, by winning the St. Petersburg Grand Prix (Florida, USA), which opened the 2022 season, ahead of the Spanish Alex Palou (Chip Ganassi Racing), current champion and who came back from tenth to second.
palouthe first Spaniard capable of winning the IndyCar title last year, started the defense of his crown with an excellent race, in which he came close to McLaughlin in the last ten laps and in which he had the option of overcoming his rival in the last corner.
It would be the icing on the cake of a weekend in which the rider from Sant Antoni de Vilamajor, Barcelona, managed to overcome adversity, starting with the accident in free practice on Saturday, when he crashed into the wall.
This second place was received very positively by palouwho at the end of the race approached McLaughlin to congratulate him on his career-first win in his second season in IndyCar.
It was a race in which uncertainty reigned, with the teams that hid their cards and managed the stops with different techniques. palou He competed with perseverance, patience and attention and achieved his goal, to be in the fight, close to McLaughlin until the last laps, to play the victory one on one.
He arrived ten laps from the end less than a second from McLaughlinwith one lap less on his tires compared to the New Zealander, and with a margin of almost four seconds over Will Powerthird.
The Catalan kept that margin below a second and came to touch the back of the car McLaughlinuntil the last lap, made difficult by traffic on the circuit. palou made several attacks, the last of which in the last corner, trying to get around the outside, but McLaughlin he managed to defend himself and sealed his first victory.
“What a day! It was crazy, it was a great battle in the last few laps, it’s surreal, I can’t believe it,” he said. McLaughlin at the end of the race. Palou was 0.5095 seconds behind McLaughlin, while Will Power completed the podium.
The American Colton Herthathe winner of the last edition, had to settle for fourth position, ahead of the French Romain Grosjeanformer Formula 1 driver. It was not a great day for the Mexican Patrick “Duck” O’Wardwho finished twelfth after starting in sixteenth position after qualifying on Saturday.
the brazilian veteran Helio Castronevesthree times winner in this circuit, in 2006, 2007 and 2012, finished in fourteenth position.
For its part, the Colombian newcomer Tatiana Calderon (AJ Foyt Racing), who started penultimate, gained a position and completed the race in twenty-fourth place. Tatianaborn in Bogotá in 1993, crowned a dream by arriving at IndyCar and acknowledged this Saturday that “they have given her a very warm welcome.”
The second race of the season will be held on March 20 with the XPEL 375, at the Texas Oval Circuit.