It is not clear if Marcus Ericsson managed to clean his suit from the milk stains with which he celebrated victory in the Indianapolis 500. But there’s already a new challenge, in an IndyCar season gone haywire.
The Swede is the new points leader, free agency has accelerated at a dizzying pace and the reigning champion of the category said his name was mistaken in rumors regarding a possible move.
Also, this will be the last race at Belle Isle.
Ericsson returned to the temporary street circuit looking to retain his first IndyCar win and take control of the title hunt.
Duck O’Ward has other plans. The Mexican also returns to the Detroit Grand Prix, where he got his first win, now with the mission of repeating and unseating Ericsson from the lead.
Belle Isle has hosted a doubleheader the past eight years, with Ericsson winning the Saturday race last season. O’Ward was victorious on Sunday.
Now there is only one race, Sunday. And he will mark the last time he cums on Belle Isle.
The Detroit Grand Prix will move to a downtown street circuit from next year.
So it’s hardly fitting that the Indianapolis 500 hangover has lasted barely a week and that the IndyCar drama resumes fast, with the farewell to Belle Isle.
And you have to remember: There are still 11 races left on a calendar that ends on September 11.
The ink is barely dry on O’Ward’s contract extension with Arrow McLaren SP and the Monterrey driver is already thinking big. He took his foot off the gas on the final lap of Indianapolis as he challenged Ericsson.
And on Friday, he still believed that decision was correct.
He believes that he would not have completed the pass that gave him the victory. Instead, he was at high risk of crashing, which was inexcusable in a race that awarded double points.
Ericsson moved from eighth to first in the championship with the victory, while O’Ward moved from seventh to second and is 13 points off the top.
“I made the right decision 100 percent,” O’Ward said Friday. “I just don’t think playing the hero will help win a championship. I think I might have taken a big hit in the championship fight and it just wasn’t worth it.”
Other pilots disagreed. Reigning IndyCar champion Alex Palou insisted that he would have gone for the win no matter the risks.
By the way, Spaniard Palou said on Friday that he liked being part of the rumours. However, he ruled out that he will move from Ganassi to McLaren.
