Scott Dixon secured his fourth victory at the Detroit Grand Prix, navigating a chaotic race filled with crashes and caution flags. Dixon's strategic decision to stay on the track during a crucial pit stop under caution allowed him to take the lead and maintain it for the final 35 laps. Marcus Ericsson and Marcus Armstrong finished second and third, respectively, in a race that saw significant disruptions due to the challenging downtown Detroit street course and brief rain.
Scott Dixon showcased his strategic prowess to win the chaotic Detroit Grand Prix, marked by eight cautions and 47 laps under yellow. Dixon, driving the No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, managed to conserve fuel and secure his second victory of the season, bringing his career total to 58 wins. Marcus Ericsson finished second, just 0.8 seconds behind, while Dixon's teammate Marcus Armstrong completed the podium. The race was marred by numerous crashes and penalties, highlighting the challenging nature of the Detroit street circuit.
Santino Ferrucci has apologized for his inflammatory comments made during an NBC interview after a practice session at the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix. His remarks, which included a derogatory reference to Colton Herta, drew criticism from the racing series. Ferrucci acknowledged that his emotions got the better of him and expressed regret, especially during Pride Month, for his behavior towards Herta, Kirkwood, and the LGBTIQA+ community.
During IndyCar practice in Detroit, Santino Ferrucci clashed with Kyle Kirkwood and Colton Herta, leading to a physical altercation and heated exchanges. Ferrucci later apologized for his behavior, but tensions remained high among the drivers. IndyCar officials decided not to take further action against Ferrucci, who has a history of confrontational incidents.
Colton Herta secured Andretti Global's first pole position of the season with a lap time of 1m00.547s at the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix, marking his 12th career pole. Championship leader Alex Palou took second place, while Josef Newgarden was the fastest Chevy driver in third. The qualifying session saw intense competition and some drama, including a confrontation between Romain Grosjean and Santino Ferrucci. The race is set to start at 12:45 p.m. ET on the USA Network.
Alex Palou led the opening practice session of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix with a lap time of 1m01.721s, closely followed by Pato O'Ward and Colton Herta. The session saw multiple incidents, including crashes involving Marcus Ericsson and Jack Harvey, but no injuries were reported. The practice highlighted the improved grip of the track compared to last year, with drivers frequently testing the limits.
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing has revealed the livery for Pietro Fittipaldi's entry in the Indianapolis 500 and Detroit Grand Prix, featuring primary sponsorship from 5-Hour Energy. Fittipaldi expressed excitement about the partnership and the design of the No. 30 Honda, aiming for strong results at both iconic races. The livery reveal follows a trend of new IndyCar liveries featuring red, yellow, and black colors, with Fittipaldi's car continuing the theme with its 5-Hour design.
The Detroit Grand Prix's move from Belle Isle to downtown has ended the tradition of drivers taking a victory dip in the James Scott Memorial Fountain. The fountain, which has a controversial past, has served as a backdrop for the race's closing ceremonies and is regarded as one of the best in America. Its upkeep has been expensive, but the Belle Isle Conservancy is trying to raise money to restore the Pewabic tile mosaic that originally could be seen around the fountain's basin.
The Detroit Grand Prix plans to make track improvements for next year's race after criticism from IndyCar points leader Alex Palou about the tight and short 1.7-mile circuit. Changes will be made to the breaking zone at Turn 3 and the area near Turn 8 before the split pit lane. Lengthening the track isn't an option due to adjacent neighborhoods, businesses, and a tunnel. More than half of the race track was accessible without an admission charge, and about 20,000 fans paid to watch Sunday's race.
Will Power, the second-place finisher at the 2023 Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix, had a famous fan in the stands: rapper Flavor Flav. The two hit it off quickly, and Flavor Flav accompanied Power on his truck during the pre-race ceremonies, wearing a Will Power T-shirt he bought. Despite concerns from drivers about the new Downtown Detroit course, the race went from start to finish with minimal issues. Arrow McLaren teammates Felix Rosenqvist and Alexander Rossi battled it out towards the front of the pack in the last few laps, with Rosenqvist refusing to yield to Rossi, who finished fifth.
Simon Pagenaud of Meyer Shank Racing-Honda topped the final practice session ahead of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix, using alternate tires to lap the new downtown Motown course in 1m02.3615s. Scott Dixon turned heads with a 1m02.7192s effort on Firestone’s primary tires, ensuring he will roll off from the second row this afternoon.
Alex Palou won the pole position for the Detroit Grand Prix, followed by Scott McLaughlin and Romain Grosjean. The race will take place on a new downtown layout, which is expected to be challenging due to its narrow quarters and tight turns. Many drivers are expecting a lot of unexpected things to happen, and it's being in the right place at the right time that will determine the winner.
The Detroit Grand Prix will debut on a 10-turn, 1.7-mile downtown street circuit with a split pit lane that will position 14 drivers on the left and 13 on the right, experimenting with such a setup for the first time in series history. The new, shorter track includes a straightaway on Jefferson Avenue that is seven-tenths of a mile long to potentially make passing more possible than it was on the narrow track at Belle Isle. Points-leader Alex Palou won the pole for the first time on a street course, turning a lap at 1 minute, 1.8592 seconds in one of four Hondas that were among the top six in qualifying.
Alex Palou won his first street course pole of his career for the Detroit Grand Prix, but used his media center podium to express the paddock's collective frustrations with the conditions and layout of the series' return to the downtown streets of Detroit. Palou agreed with most drivers that the track is too tight and too short for Indy cars, with too much traffic and bumps. Despite this, Team Penske's Scott McLaughlin spoke out against hasty "conclusions" and "noise" from other drivers, saying the track is a blast to race on and will get better from here.
Alex Palou secured pole position for the IndyCar Detroit Grand Prix, following his Indianapolis 500 pole, with Romain Grosjean and Scott McLaughlin taking P2 and P3 respectively. Andretti Autosport's Kyle Kirkwood hit the wall and will start 12th, while Colton Herta broke his suspension and will start in 24th.
