The Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League witnessed another impressive performance from Scott Dixon, who once again showcased his exceptional fuel-saving skills to secure a victory in Long Beach. However, Josef Newgarden, the current leader of the IndyCar championship, was unable to challenge Dixon due to a collision with Colton Herta. Meanwhile, Theo Pourchaire, the current Formula 2 champion, made a notable debut in the series by finishing in 11th place.
At the start of the race, Will Power, Newgarden’s teammate at Penske, pulled off a brilliant move by tucking in behind Felix Rosenqvist, the pole position holder, and then quickly passing him on the outside of turn 1 to take the lead. Unfortunately for Rosenqvist and his Meyer Shank team, they struggled to keep their tires in good condition, causing him to drop to sixth place within the first 10 laps.
Power managed to build a significant 7.1-second lead before the first yellow flag was waved on lap 15. Reigning Indy NXT champion Ed Carpenter’s Christian Rasmussen was involved in a crash that appeared to have been caused by a mechanical failure. Surprisingly, Power decided to pit during the yellow flag, meaning he would have to save an extraordinary amount of fuel to complete the race with just one more stop. On the other hand, Newgarden and 11 other drivers chose to stay out on track.
Shortly after the yellow flag, Dixon passed Power and took control of the race using a different strategy. Meanwhile, Newgarden and the group of drivers following him opted for a less conservative approach and began making their pit stops around lap 30. By staying out longer on track, Herta and Alex Palou managed to overtake Marcus Ericsson, with Palou successfully defending his position against Ericsson’s relentless pursuit.
Dixon extended his lead over Power to 7 seconds in the next stint before making his pit stop. Meanwhile, Newgarden and his group worked to create a gap between them and Dixon, knowing that their final stop would determine their chances of catching him. Newgarden’s pace was exceptional as he set the fastest lap of the race just before making his stop on lap 58. He exited the pits just over four seconds behind Dixon, with around 30 laps remaining and significantly fresher tires.
However, it took longer than expected for Newgarden to close the gap to Dixon, and getting stuck in Dixon’s turbulent air allowed Herta and Palou to join the battle over three seconds behind. Furthermore, the presence of traffic further complicated the race outcome. On lap 77, a chain reaction resulted in Herta colliding with the rear of Newgarden, who had slowed down due to the anti-stall mode activating in the corner. This incident allowed Herta and Palou to overtake Newgarden and challenge Dixon for the win.
Newgarden believed Herta was at fault for the collision, and Herta admitted to misjudging the speed when entering the turn. Despite the incident, Herta was not penalized by IndyCar. In the end, Herta emerged as the only driver capable of challenging Dixon. However, despite his efforts to save fuel, Dixon set his fastest lap on the penultimate lap and managed to hold off Herta to secure a magnificent victory.
Dixon’s performance was further boosted by an upgraded piece from Honda, which was not yet available for all cars. Honda made this upgrade in response to the benefits it provided, allowing them to have a much better qualifying session compared to the previous round dominated by Chevrolet. Herta finished in second place, followed by Palou in third. Newgarden, despite the collision, managed to secure fourth place and maintain the championship lead, 12 points ahead of Dixon.
Kyle Kirkwood, last year’s race winner, made an impressive climb from 10th on the grid to seventh. Romain Grosjean, driving for Juncos Hollinger Racing, achieved his first top 10 with his new team, finishing in eighth place. Rosenqvist and Alexander Rossi completed the top 10.
The current F2 champion, Theo Pourchaire, made a spectacular debut in IndyCar. Despite starting 22nd on the grid, he managed to climb to 18th place before the first yellow flag. During the final stretch, Pourchaire adopted a similar strategy to Newgarden and did not make a pit stop. He closely followed his teammate Rossi, who had been involved in a collision with another Arrow McLaren driver, Pato O’Ward, earlier in the race. Pourchaire’s impressive performance allowed him to finish in 11th place, overtaking four cars in the final stretch, including two Ganassi machines.
Pourchaire’s first experience in an IndyCar occurred during the first free practice on Friday, making his achievement as the best rookie of the race and the driver who gained the most positions from his starting position even more remarkable.
© 2024
Portuguese:
New world record set in speed race
By João Silva
A new mark was reached in the speed race during the international competition held last weekend. Brazilian athlete Pedro Santos surprised everyone by breaking the world record and winning the gold medal.
The impressive feat took place during the final of the 100 meters sprint. Pedro Santos, known for his incredible speed, showed all his potential by crossing the finish line in an impressive 9.58 seconds. With this time, he surpassed the old world record, set in 2009, by a margin of 0.11 seconds.
The crowd present at the stadium was shocked to witness this historic moment. The audience did not spare applause and words of encouragement for the Brazilian athlete, who was moved by the achievement. In an interview after the race, Pedro Santos declared: “I am very happy and honored to represent Brazil and achieve this world record. I trained hard to get here and I am extremely grateful for the opportunity.”
The result obtained by Pedro Santos is a milestone for Brazilian sports. With this achievement, the athlete becomes a global reference in the speed racing discipline. Furthermore, the world record set by him puts Brazil in the spotlight on the international sports scene.
The expectation now is that Pedro Santos will continue to stand out in future competitions and inspire new athletes to follow in his footsteps. With his determination and talent, he proves that it is possible to achieve great feats in sports, even in the face of challenges and adversities.
This world record is proof of the potential of Brazilian sports and the dedication of the athletes who represent it. Brazil has much to celebrate with this achievement and will certainly continue to be a country recognized for its excellence in sports.
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