Honda Indy Toronto — the only one in this season exit from the territory of the US race for the IndyCar back of the field. On a curve, humpback and patched track pilots had to go through 85 rounds. The two are not finished, but on how the fight took place, it seems that will not make it, and half of the participants. Five times the judge hung the yellow flags and the same time violated the strategic plans for teams and drivers. The culmination of the race, you can safely assume its ending, when the order of the track is literally turned upside down, and it was not clear how this will end.
In the words of our pilot Mikhail Aleshin (SMP Racing), the track resembles the suburbs of Toronto in the spring. The second is the same «outstanding» track — in Detroit.
Our driver suggested that «such and such a route covering — perfectly thought out move management of the championship.»
But it seems that the destruction of asphalt curb the organizers still have not provided. Pilots so fiercely it attacked that crumbled asphalt, and there was a large pothole. Direct entry into it could have ended at least for the pilot puncture. The ideal trajectory in Toronto is the line on which the least bumps, and often, this line does not coincide with the traditional racing path. In turns after take-off on the curb machines need to land on the flat space, otherwise you can immediately and finish. In the wall.
The first three before the start of the race looked like this: Dixon, Castroneves, Pazhno. Mikhail Aleshin — the tenth place. Despite the fact that starting with a given stroke, it does not diminish the danger of passage of the first turns, where different trajectories for pilots tend to come, all together. Often it ends collisions. And so it happened. Charlie Kimball is not divided highway with Ryan Hunter-Ray, causing a first yellow flags. But even before that, Mikhail Aleshin was able to drive just four rivals and reach the sixth position.
Broadcast IndyCar racing very well demonstrates how close the cars are in the moments of the struggle on the road. Sometimes it comes to the touch, and sometimes up to the collision. Juan Pablo Montoya at the sixth round of tears a piece rear spoiler Joseph Nyugardenu and sends it to the mechanic, «activating» the second session of the yellow flags.
After the restart Monty was not satisfied and arranged leap forward just to fight. He seemed to be ready in this race to do anything to reach the top positions.
At the 26th round hit the wheel who was walking at the time the second Hélio Castroneves, and at about the same time came the first wave of pit stops. A team of mechanics Mikhail Aleshin, who already once worked badly. How to write a driver in his blog on F1news.ru, if not for the delay at the pit stop, it would be possible to finish and the third. After the first run to the mechanic, Michael passed forward two rivals, one of whom was Montoya.
At the 45th lap again hung the yellow flags. At this time, no accidents have happened with the drivers, but the accident occurred to the curb. He crumbled. The load on the track element has been so high that asphalt broke down and split. Marshals all swept, cleaned up, and the race continued, but the border remained chipped. Approach the car accurately on the pothole could prove fatal for the wheel, but fortunately this did not happen.
After the restart on lap 51 there was a sharp and strange moment. Wormed his way into the top ten of the circular back of the field, Carlos Muñoz, apparently decided that he can return a lost lap, ahead of the front, including the leaders. Before it happened to be Mikhail Aleshin. Munoz had a very dangerous maneuver, almost knocking the Russian pilot of races. It probably would have been acceptable if it was a struggle for the current position, but to carry out such an attack, being circular, to say the least, imprudent.
Montoya continued his breakthrough, and overtook Sebastien Bourdais in the fight for the fourth position. It seems that Canada favors veteran. Momentum, Monty could fight for the podium. Team, Schmidt Peterson decided that pit stops will open a wave it is their pilots. Thus, Aleshin was at the mechanics of one of the first, but they again worked too slowly. As soon as Michael went on the road as there were yellow flags again: his car smashed Joseph Nyugarden. After a bad landing during a jump on the curb, the car hit a bump and had become unmanageable. And then the fun began in the strategic plan. Leaders had to stop, but under the safety car to check the mechanics led to the loss of positions. The finish was close, but stop, nevertheless, it required many who went ahead. Most unlucky Scott Dixon. He immediately became a leader in the outsiders. But lucky for example, Aleshin team mate James Hinchcliffe, the mechanics of which, apparently, were more agile. Walked earlier in the wake of Takuma Sato also appeared at the position close to the podium. Mikhail Aleshin was sixth despite the fact that some competitors could come at the end of the race to go to the refuel.
After the restart Aleshin started to put pressure Sato. Twice Russian pilot attempted to bypass the Japanese, but it did not.
«I like the Japanese» kamikaze «. He knows how to fight to the end, and that in itself deserves respect, „- wrote in a blog Aleshin.
There was hope that Sato did not have enough fuel to finish, with the proviso that no more yellow flags. But the 82-lap first Hoksuort and Jack followed him Montoya «moor» in the same turn. Juan Pablo selected using marshals and left, and the evacuation Hoksuorta car took two laps.
It became clear that all the fuel will be enough to finish, but the fight was not yet over. Last 85th round was held under the green flag, and in the fierce struggle that won the Will Power. Pazhno Simon, who was also among the leaders of arrival, finished only ninth. Scott Dixon, who was probably the worst of all, he wrote in his «Twitter»: «Painful to play like that, having a wonderful machine...». Mikhail Aleshin to be congratulated with the second consecutive sixth place at the finish. It is absolutely clear after watching the race, he had a great race.
By the end of the season remaining five stages, and city tracks on the calendar no longer exists. Montoya finally said goodbye with hope for the title, and Simon Pazhno gradually loses its «safety margin.» All the pilots of the first six still have a real chance of a rise in the standings. If Pazhno will continue to finish in the middle of the back of the field, the title may be him swim away at the last stage. Mikhail Aleshin in the standings ahead of Marco Andretti and now side by side with Takuma Sato and Sebastien Bourdais. The next race will be held at the circuit of Mid-Ohio on 31 July.
Photo: IndyCar Joe Skibinski, Chris Jones, Chris Owens, Viasat Broadcast
