Ericsson Takes First IndyCar Win Amid Chaotic Race In Detroit

Calum Gill 22:30 12/06/2021

Former Sauber Formula 1 driver Marcus Ericsson has taken his first win in the IndyCar series, by winning the first race in the Detroit double header.

Chip Ganassi Racing’s Ericsson vaulted into the lead with five laps to go when long-time race leader Will Power was unable to restart his car when the race resumed following a red flag for a Romain Grosjean crash. It marks Ericsson’s first-ever IndyCar victory, having previously only taken one podium - a second place at Detroit in 2019 - in his three years in the championship. It’s also his first car racing victory since he won the GP2 feature race at the Nurburgring in 2013.

The race was red flagged twice, with the first stoppage coming on lap 27 of 70, as Felix Rosenqvist’s Arrow McLaren SP car rocketed into the barriers with a suspected stuck throttle, causing a delay of over an hour. The incident turned the race on its head, as the nine leading drivers had to pit shortly after the race restarted, allowing Power to move from 10th place and into the lead ahead of Ericsson and Rinus VeeKay. Power, who topped practice but started seventh after clipping the wall twice in qualifying, spent the majority of the remainder of the race fending off ex-Formula 1 driver Ericsson.

Their battle was halted with seven laps to go when Grosjean crashed into the wall and heavily damaged the front-right of his Dale Coyne Racing machine. Grosjean had been on course to secure another solid result in his impressive rookie IndyCar season from third on the grid, before he picked up a front-right puncture at the halfway point of the race.

Power was unable to start his Team Penske-run car and ended up stranded in the pitlane as Ericsson led the field away for the restart. But on the restart, it was second-place Takuma Sato facing the pressure and the two-time Indianapolis 500 winner dropped from second to fourth place.

Ericsson was left free to convert his golden opportunity into his maiden IndyCar win to become the seventh different winner in as many races this year. VeeKay narrowly beat the polesitter Pato O’Ward to the line to secure second place, with Sato and his Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing teammates Graham Rahal and Santino Ferrucci rounding out the top six.

2021 Grand Prix of Detroit Race 1 Classification (USA unless stated)(70 Laps)

1st. Marcus Ericsson (SWE)

2nd. Rinus VeeKay (NED)

3rd. Patricio O'Ward (MEX)

4th. Takuma Sato (JPN)

5th. Graham Rahal

6th. Santino Ferrucci

7th. Alexander Rossi

8th. Scott Dixon (NZ)

9th. Ed Jones (UAE)

10th. Josef Newgarden

11th. Sebastian Bourdais (SUI)

12th. Simon Pagenaud (FRA)

13th. Conor Daly

14th. Colton Herta

15th. Álex Palou (ESP)

16th. Jack Harvey (GBR)

17th. James Hinchcliffe (CAN)

18th. Dalton Kellett (CAN)

19th. Scott McLaughlin (NZ)

DNF: Will Power (AUS)

DNF: Max Chilton (GBR)

DNF: Romain Grosjean (FRA)

DNF: Jimmie Johnson

DNF: Felix Rosenqvist