Marcus Ericsson has branded the finish of the Indy 500 “unfair and dangerous” after losing the lead in a one-lap dash to the chequered flag.
The 107th running of the Indianapolis 500 was marred by three red flags in the final 16 laps.
Ericsson led when the latter of those was called, and there was time enough just for the field to exit the pits, head around for that lap, then take both a green and a white flag.
The Chip Ganassi Racing driver looked to have dropped the chasing pack as he did so, but Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden got a very fast run off Turn 2 and made the race-winning pass as they ran down the back straight.
Ericsson, who won in a two-lap dash from a red flag period last year, was unhappy with what transpired.
“I just thought it was an unfair and dangerous end to the race,” he said on the NBC telecast, which is carried by Stan Sport in Australia.
“I don’t think it was enough laps to do what we did. I think we’ve never done a restart out of the pits and, you know, we don’t get the tyres up to temperature.
“I think we did everything right today. I’m very proud of the #8 crew and everyone at Chip Ganassi Racing.
“I think I did everything right behind the wheel. I did an awesome last restart, I think I caught Josef completely off-guard and got the gap and kept the lead into Turn 1, which no one else had done all day.
“But, you know, I just couldn’t hold it on the back. I was flat, but I couldn’t hold it
“Congratulations to Josef; he did everything right as well, so he’s a worthy champion, but I’m just very disappointed with the way that that ended. I don’t think that was fair.”
Asked if it was a painful feeling to fall just short, the Swede replied, “Yeah, it is because, again, I feel like we did everything right, I feel like we won that race and then it sort of got taken away from us.
“It is what it is, the situation is what it is. I did I think I did everything right on that last restart, I think that was awesome, but it was just not enough today with what we had, so it’s tough to swallow, for sure.”
Newgarden’s margin of victory over Ericsson was 0.0974s.
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