Last weekend at Sonoma Raceway track hosted the final race of the season formulaic American IndyCar Series. The intrigue does not even lived up to the middle of arrival: one of the two contenders for the title was out of control, and Simon Pagenaud could only safely bring the car to the finish.
Sonoma Raceway — narrow winding trail, located on the hills of the same name in California. Complexity maneuvers — in a large number of «blind» turns associated with a height difference. Overtaking is not easy in Sonoma, and the majority of maneuvers was performed in the 11th slow corners under braking. However, the back of the field during the race so stretched that to «Indy» overtaking was not much. Lizards and traveling marshals also been seen on the road as opposed to race «Formula 1» in Singapore. It was expected that unfold struggle between the two contenders for the title of Simon Pagenaud and Will Power. Both pilots in favor of the team of Roger Penske, so that the collective joy foresaw whatever the outcome of the fight.
Pagenaud won the pole position and has not missed one at the start. Simon immediately began to build up an advantage, having left his pursuers in the first laps more than three seconds. But behind Pagenaud boiling battle for position. In the slow penultimate povrot pilots vvylilis literally crowd the benefit that the path and exit are wide enough and safe. Tony Kanaan did not calculate a little and touched the car Mikhail Aleshin, who was at that time the 10th. When the Russian pilot, after turning back in the race, back of the field had already left, leaving Aleshin and Canaan in the last positions. Thus Canaan was unable to immediately return to the race.
Dropped broby in midfield, Aleshin drove first to his mechanics: the team decided to change strategy, and, in general, do not make a mistake. Russian pilot became slowly but surely win back the position.
Meanwhile, Simon Pagenaud kept the lead with an overwhelming advantage. He lost the first position even after the arrival at the first pit stop. For a while Simon could see in the mirror of Will Power. All that could make it a contender in this situation — to finish as high as possible. Pagenaud was not enough to come below the fifth position. But the intrigue that is already been in predsmetrnyh convulsions after an excellent start Pagenaud, finally fell silent on the 36th lap. Power's car suddenly started to slow down and eventually stopped on the track, causing a «yellow flags». Marshals towed stalled car in the pit lane, Balga was close, only 300 meters in total on Simon Pagenaud could not much to worry about his title.
On the 41-lap encounter a problem Scott Dixon. Mechanics for a long time circling around his car, changed the wheel and the helmet... the pilot, which is a very rare phenomenon in the middle of the race.
Only a 62-lap Simon Pagenaud temporarily ceded leadership Hélio Castroneves, but not for long. French driver Penske team finished first in the race and become a champion of the IndyCar Series in 2016. One of the first to congratulate the champion Mikhail Aleshin, who finished the race in 11th position. The year before, Simon and Michael played together for the SPM team and are in a good relationship.
The following season, the teams will a number of permutations. Perhaps the most interesting is that the waiting Juan Pablo Montoya. According to some rumors, it will still ride in Penske's year, on the other — Monti will go for the other team, and sometimes may even end up appearances in IndyCar.
Mikhail Aleshin finished the season on the 15-th line, gaining 347 points. His team-mate James Hinchcliffe scored 416 points (13th line). That is SPM pilots were quite on equal terms and could earn more points that were lost through the fault of the team, when there were problems at the pit stop. It is said that Schmidt Peterson Motorsport retain the pilots in the new season, which will begin on March 12 in the tradition of Saint-Petersberg.
Photo: IndyCar, broadcast.
