Swedish driver Marcus Ericsson clinched victory at the first-ever Ontario Honda Dealers Indy held in Markham with two crucial passes. The first pass involved a bump between Ericsson and his teammate, Will Power, as Ericsson made a late move during the race. The second pass occurred with four laps remaining as Ericsson overtook Romain Grosjean to secure his fifth career win in the IndyCar series.
Ericsson attributed his victory to the exceptional pace of his car, emphasizing the team’s strategic play and performance when it mattered most. Grosjean finished in second place, marking his first top-five finish of the season. Power claimed the third spot, while Alex Palou, leading the driver rankings, settled for fourth place.
The Andretti Global team, consisting of Ericsson, Power, and Kyle Kirkwood, who is second in the driver rankings, collaborated to thwart Palou’s point accumulation after Kirkwood crashed out of the race. Team principal Ron Ruzewski highlighted the team’s focus on minimizing Palou’s points to keep Kirkwood in contention for the championship.
Despite some miscommunication leading to a brief incident between Power and Ericsson during the race, the team managed to maintain their positions. Palou earned 32 points, extending his lead over Kirkwood in the standings by 133 points.
Grosjean, who had been defending against Palou for a significant portion of the race but faced fuel and tire challenges, was eventually overtaken by Ericsson. The race saw multiple cautions and incidents, with Foster crashing early on after predicting pre-race mayhem on the challenging road course in downtown Markham.
The event marked the first year of Markham hosting the IndyCar race, previously held in Toronto since 1986. Despite initial challenges with the track’s completion, the drivers praised the circuit’s layout and expressed optimism for smoother operations in future races at the venue.
The racing community and fans alike enjoyed the thrilling competition, with Ericsson acknowledging the successful weekend and promising improvements for next year’s event at the newly introduced track.