#longbeachgp

-longbeachgp :]

GOD i need to write them SO BAD

2022 is becoming a stellar year for IndyCar, as the Long Beach race, which is normally more about saving fuel and pit stops, saw plenty of wheel to wheel action, including for the lead! If that wasn’t enough, a car ended up parked in the fountain flowers too!

The Penske juggernaut continues its roll through the series, as Newgarden makes it back to back wins, thanks to a great pit stop and out lap for the final stint. Before the stop he was behind Palou, but could hold him off on the out lap despite his cold tyres, which would end up being crucial. His pace was maybe not the best out there, but it was enough to stay in contention with the front runners, and make his move when it counts. He may well be the favourite now for the title, looking at where the team is currently. His defence against Grosjean was perfect too, helped by the push to pass he had.

Grosjean came so close to his first win once again! For the first half of the race, he was very quiet on the edge of the top 5, but through cautions and others crashing he came to the front, and thanks to his strategy, had reds for the final stint. He was able to pass Palou, yet couldn’t quite get the Penske car. Nevertheless, it has been a solid start to his Andretti career. Palou will be disappointed too, as he was nearly in victory lane as well. His car was so fast in that middle stint, but for whatever reason Josef could close the gap to him in the stops. The move on Newgarden into turn 5 was very risky, and both drivers did well to survive.

Power had another decent race, as he starts the season in the best ever way for him for many years. 4th was probably the maximum he could get out of the car. McLaren needed to resurrect their season, and to begin with it looked like Rosenqvist would do it, however he dropped back early on. That left O’Ward to storm through the field, to get his best result of the season. If he wants to fight for the title, he needs to get podiums soon.

Dixon did a typical Dixon race, using fuel saving to gain a tonne of positions, as well as being helped by the cautions. These are the sorts of things he does to save his championship, and it worked very well here. Rahal silently climbed up as well, as the team recovers from a diabolical Texas. Rossi fell back on one of the restarts, as the frustration boiled over of being passed it seemed. He really needs to regroup soon.

Kirkwood continues to prove how fast he is, in only his third race. Making the fast 12 and getting a 10th should be a springboard for the future. Veekay seemed to be annoying some drivers out there including Dixon with his driving, he may be being too exuberant. After two near perfect races, McLaughlin wasn’t on the pace this weekend, but these weekends happen, and likely won’t last for long.

Calderon is building in the series, much like Johnson did last year, and I am sure it will come to her soon. Sato pushed Pagenaud into the grass at the fountain, which did not please the Frenchman, who wants revenge on a driver who is known for being rather aggressive in racing. Johnson has had a difficult weekend, with many crashes, including one which injured his hand. It was apparently all as a result of trying to find the last percent of pace in the car.

Finally, the most dramatic moment of the race, where Herta once again crashed out in the fastest car on the track, trying to make up too much time. This is a real issue, which is linked to Rossi, where they both are getting too frustrated in the car, and ruining races. You cannot win a title like this, even if Andretti had the pace to do so over a season, it is all about collecting points. I do fear it could ruin both of their careers before long.

Penske may be in control of the championship right now, but Chip Ganassi Racing and Andretti Autosport are banging on the door, and before long they will break through. McLaren too are on a resurgence, and with the Chevrolet engine, have the potential for wins too! Don’t forget they nearly won Barber last year, where we are going next!

It may have been another new venue for the season finale, but this time it felt extra special, as the Streets of Long Beach are a jewel in the IndyCar calendar. Even though the result was not unexpected, we still had a fairly dramatic race, which went right down to the wire.

After making a huge mistake on Saturday, when Herta hit the wall in Round 1 of qualifying, ruining any chance of pole, he fought back excellently in the race, to secure his 3rd win of the season. On road courses, he has been in a class of 1, with rather dominant displays at St Pete and Nashville too, although he crashed out at Nashville. This race really showed his skills, of aggressive driving, whilst staying cool and calm. You cannot deny that he got lucky with the yellow coming out when he was the only car on reds, so was able to calve through the field more easily, yet he did hold the others off when on blacks, later on in the race.

Newgarden really did all he could in the race, as his car didn’t look like it was the fastest out there. On reds at the end, he could charge at Herta, but traction looked to be an issue for him all day. Nevertheless, it was a great race for him, especially after a few difficult races, which ruined any chance for him of getting a 3rd title. In a year where Penske did falter slightly, he was still able to get loads of solid results, and maybe deserved to be 2nd in the championship, considering the issues he had at Road America amongst other places.

In some ways, this race summed up Dixon’s year, as he was thereabouts all race, with strong pace, but didn’t produce the same results as we have seen in the past from him. I don’t think by any means that he has lost it, or Palou has him rattled, it was just not his year. Much like Palou, he lacked some luck this year, and it could all change in 2022.

Considering he started 10th, Palou had a pretty good race, as he secured his first ever title. His grid spot was clearly not indicative of his pace, and if a championship had not been on the line, he probably could have moved even further forwards. There were some worrying moments for him, but as we have seen all year, he can keep calm, and ride through any problems he has. He was the clear, deserving champion, as he has been the most consistent by far this year, and handled himself like a veteran. The real question is, can anyone stop him from continuing this run, as we haven’t seen any real weaknesses from him yet?

Pagenaud was at least able to end his time at Penske on a high, with a fairly quiet day, just sat around 4th or 5th throughout. His one moment of action, was when he got very close to Herta as he was passed by him, which could have ended very badly. It is a shame in some ways that he is leaving the team, as during 2016, he looked as though he could dominate the sport with them. However, ever since then, he has never quite been able to do the same again. Rossi staged a similar comeback to Colton, showing that Andretti still have a lot of fight in them, they along with Rossi just need to put it all together.

Harvey ended out his career with Meyer Shank pretty well, fighting back from near last to 7th , as did Bourdais who finished 8th, in what will likely be his last full season in IndyCar. After getting hit on the 1st lap, he pitted early, and some lucky yellows allowed him to climb through the field well. For Power to go from 12th to 10th on a street track, shows how difficult a year it has been for Team Penske, as he normally excels here.

I have been very impressed with how Johnson has ended the year, clearly showing the improvements he has made over the year. I doubt he will be a front runner next year, although he could be consistently in the midpack, given how good Chip Ganassi are at the moment. Unfortunately, Grosjean ended a promising and very enjoyable year with contact, but the future is looking very bright for him, as he moves to Andretti.

Finally, the title hunt ended early for O’Ward, who was hit by Jones at the end of the first lap. It was a clumsy move by the Dubai native, as you do have to be careful when near title contenders, and we have seen this accident before at that turn. If Pato had got the qualifying spot he deserved on Saturday, and been able to complete the race, it is still unlikely he could have overhauled Alex. However, it would have been a nicer way to end the year, especially after what happened in Russia, and would have got him a deserving 2nd in the championship.

It was a race where some drivers got the justice they deserved, and others certainly didn’t, as IndyCar officials continue to make questionable calls, which directly affect the racing. In the future they really need to clean their act up, if they want this to be a reputable sport.

-M

Thank you very much for reading this article! To keep up to date with when they go out, and to see my reactions to races and other news, follow me on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/MeaningofMotor1

It is an IndyCar focused week this time, as no other series really had any major news!

IndyCar

In the wake of his first IndyCar title, Newgarden has called Palou, ‘Dixon-esque’, which is probably the biggest compliment he could give him. This is because, Dixon was always able to assess situations very well, keep himself out of trouble, and stay calm. Dixon has in some ways agreed with this, as he said that Alex has raised the bar for him.

McLaughlin, who secured the Rookie of the Year title, is aiming to win the Indy 500 next year. Given his prowess on ovals this year, it wouldn’t be out of the question, as he qualified best Penske for the 500, and was 2nd at Texas. I do think that Year 2 could be a breakthrough year for him.

After long speculation, Pagenaud has announced he will be moving to Meyer Shank Racing for next year. It is unclear whether he was pushed out of Penske, or if he just wanted to move to new pastures. This could be a chance for him to bring himself back to the forefront of the series, after a few years where he underperformed. Alongside Castroneves, they could be a team to fear for the 500!

The Detroit Grand Prix could well move from Belle Isle to downtown Detroit, to try and build a stronger connection with the city. This could bring more energy to the event, and may have been inspired by the success of the race at Nashville. With Penske owning the Belle Isle track, it could be interesting to see how this plays out.

Bourdais looks to be going to a part time season with Foyt for next year, due to him becoming a full time driver in IMSA. It is reported that he will race the Chip Ganassi run Cadillac, for all the races, which will cause some clashes with IndyCar. This move could well mean that it will be his last season in IndyCar next year, for a legend of the sport.

Other News

Due to the current situation in Australia, McLaughlin will probably call off his attempt to return for the Bathurst 1000. DJR had been open to him coming back for a seat at the enduro event, but with the two week quarantine period, and IndyCar testing, it could be a step too far.

-M

Thank you very much for reading this article! To keep up to date with when they go out, and to see my reactions to races and other news, follow me on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/MeaningofMotor1

F1

Aston Martin have confirmed that they will retain the same line up for 2022. It has worked pretty well for them during what has been a tough year, Vettel has been reborn in some ways, and produced some great races, whilst Stroll is continuing to grow as he races in F1. I wonder how much longer Sebastien will stay in the sport.

In further Aston Martin news, Martin Whitmarsh will join the team to oversee its operation. He will report directly to the team’s owner, Lawrence Stroll, whilst watching over Otmar Szafnauer, who runs the teams on track work. His previous time in F1 was not super successful, when he ran McLaren, at a time when it got so close to another title, without quite getting it done. He has done other work since then, and could be another useful aide, in bringing the team to the forefront of the sport.

IndyCar

The 2022 schedule has been revealed, which in a lot of ways is similar to this year’s one. It does start a bit earlier, with its first race in February since 2004, and there is now just 1 race at Texas, which I think we can all agree was the right move. Rather surprisingly, there will be only 1 race at Detroit too, which we had all got used to being a doubleheader. This is probably as a result of TV timings. Iowa back on the calendar is a massive plus, as it is a fantastic oval, and Laguna Seca could be a thrilling finale, if this year is anything to go by. Overall, with 14 races on network NBC, the future is looking up for IndyCar.

Honda clinched the manufacturers title at the Firestone Grand Prix, their 10th in the sport. It is not a surprise really, given the pace of Chip Ganassi Racing this year, and Dale Coyne Racing too. Add to that the slight demise of Penske, compared to what we usually see, and it all makes sense. That being said, it could all change for 2022.

MotoGP

Lecuona is very annoyed with KTM for not allowing him to ride in the Misano test, instead favouring the rookies who will join the team next year. I can see why the team has done it, to try and help them get up to speed for 2022. I think the anger more comes from the decision to drop Iker in the first place.

Dovizioso has said that Quartararo is doing crazy things on the Yamaha, in order to have the pace he has got. He also said that his bike is very particular, and can’t understand where it differs from the factory bike. Chances are there is a major difference, as everyone who has run that bike all year, have found it difficult to adapt to it.

Rossi believes that MotoGP in Italy will be fine once he has left. With the emergence of Bagnaia and Bastiannini, you can see where he is coming from, as there shouldn’t be a vacuum of talent in Italy after he leaves. I am sure that some fans will leave, simply because they only watched the sport for 1 man, but hopefully most are more committed MotoGP fans, and will stay for the future.

-M

Thank you very much for reading this article! To keep up to date with when they go out, and to see my reactions to races and other news, follow me on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/MeaningofMotor1

In a race dominated by tyre wear, we saw different strategies cause drivers to come and go, whilst Herta simply drove away up front. As for the title race, it is all but wrapped up, apart from if we see a disaster at Long Beach.

If it wasn’t for Herta this year, Andretti would look like a midfield team at best, however, he has simply destroyed the opposition in 2 of the races this year, to at least save some face for what we call one of the big 3 teams. From the pole, he never really looked challenged, except for when Rossi crashed into him on Lap 2. Palou was close for most of the race, yet never really looked in a position to go for the win. Those 2 cars were in a league of their own for most of the race. For Herta it will be a nice way to end a season with so much promise, but lacking a lot of execution. Whereas for Palou, it was a massive step forwards, to his first IndyCar title. I think that the calm, smooth, calculated drive Alex did, shows why he should be the champion this year.

There was nearly a late upset for the front two, as Grosjean put on a late charge, to get within a couple of seconds of them. He had been quiet for the first half of the race, and then all of a sudden started to charge through the pack, especially when he put on the reds for the last stint. You could see he was really enjoying himself, making divebombs on other cars, although the one on Johnson was a bit rash. It will surely be only a matter of time before he gets his first win in IndyCar, likely next year when he will probably be at Andretti.

Much like Grosjean, Rahal was climbing through the field during the race. This kind of race is where his experience can really come in handy, along with great pace from the team, which was shown too by his teammate. O’Ward didn’t mind the result too much itself, as he felt it was where the car was at, he just was disappointed about losing more ground to Palou. Tyre wear seemed to really hurt him badly, which isn’t surprising given how he usually pushes flat out when he can. It would be a miracle for McLaren if they snatched the title from Palou, although we must remember they went well at Detroit earlier in the year, also on a street course.

6th wasn’t enough to keep Ericsson in contention for the title, despite this, Marcus has really come of age this year. So, looking to the future, there could be more to come from the cool, calm Swede. Newgarden probably had the busiest day of anyone, as he made 4 stops whilst gaining 10 places, in the hope of catching a lucky yellow, to vault ahead of Palou. He did all he could from his starting spot, as overtaking wasn’t easy here, unless you had a clear tyre advantage. Even if he had qualified well at the last 2 races, I don’t think he could have beaten Palou at either of them, the Spaniard is just too good right now.

Pagenaud and Askew had solid days, staying in the top 10 all race. Pagenaud continues to be good but not spectacular at Penske, which may be why he will likely not be there next year. Askew did brilliantly again, as this was a tough race for someone not used to racing these cars. That combined with him qualifying 5th, shows he should be on the grid next year, which may not be as easy as we once thought it was. Jones, Hunter-Reay, and McLaughlin were stuck on the normal 3 stop strategy and weren’t really able to go anywhere. The first two will probably be fairly pleased with the result, however, Scott showed more potential this weekend, and has lost a lot of points to Grosjean in the Rookie of the year standings.

It was a surprise to see Dixon falling back in a race like this, as skills like tyre saving you would think could help him here. That being said, most of the year has been a surprise, as Dixon has been shown up by a younger faster driver, upon entering the Chip Ganassi stable. It will be interesting to see if he can bounce back for 2022. Talking of Chip Ganassi Racing, Johnson had his best day ever in IndyCar, with not only his best result, but he also fought with many other cars, passing some too. I know this may sound patronising when talking about a 7 time NASCAR champion, but it has been a real struggle for him this year. The 4 stop strategy clearly helped him too.

Ilott and Juncos continue to grow into IndyCar, I think that 2022 will be when we really see what they can do, as they are clearly still leaning about the car at the moment. Power yet again has no luck, as he suffered electrical issues whilst running 2nd. Whereas Sato did not cover himself in glory, as he spun at the corkscrew, hitting Dixon as he went. Rossi made a simple error early on, of oversteering into Herta as they battled for the lead, which sums up his year really.

With 1 race to go, most of the grid have something to prove, after a year where they haven’t delivered on what was promised. Add to this, drivers wanting to leave on a high, others auditioning for 2022 seats, oh and a title battle too, and we could find ourselves with a chaotic race on Sunday, to end the IndyCar season.

-M

Thank you very much for reading this article! To keep up to date with when they go out, and to see my reactions to races and other news, follow me on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/MeaningofMotor1