For the first time in three years, the NTT IndyCar Series returns to the Great White North and the Exhibition Place Street Circuit for the Honda Indy Toronto. Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic the 11-turn, 2.874 km circuit hasn’t been on the calendar, but now many members of the grid will make their first trip to the track this weekend.
Marcus Ericsson still sits at the top of the points standings on 321 points, with a 20 point gap to Will Power in second. Josef Newgarden maintains third place with 287 points, one point ahead of Chip Ganassi Racing (soon to be McLaren Racing) driver Alex Palou. Pato O’Ward rounds out the top five with 256 points.
Toronto kicks off a crucial stretch of four races in three weeks with a plethora of points up for grabs, 270 to be exact. Only 10 drivers on the grid were a part of the last race in 2019, with five of those drivers switching teams. This will also be the first time at Exhibition Place with the aeroscreen.
Will the majority of the field be able to catch up to those with experience at the track? Who can build momentum going into this pivotal points stretch? Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the Honda Indy Toronto.
WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR?
(Photo Credit: Shawn Gritzmacher / Penske Entertainment / Courtesy of IndyCar)
Simon Pagenaud took his third win of the 2019 season with a win at Toronto after starting on the pole and holding off Scott Dixon late.
Aside from a lap one collision involving Power, Marco Andretti and Graham Rahal, Pagenaud pulled away as the field settled in. Pagenaud easily handled the first two stints of the race, but after making his final pit stop on lap 51, he began to struggle in the dirty air of lap traffic.
This allowed Dixon to close in on the leader and bring them within a half a second of one another. Whenever Pagenaud was able to clear a car and build a small gap, Dixon would catch right back up as more traffic came. Adding to the pressure, Pagenaud had to save fuel to ensure that he could make it to the end.
Despite all the roadblocks the Frenchman’s victory was sealed after his teammate Power crashed, forcing a race-ending caution. Pagenaud took the yellow and checkered flags to win his first Honda Indy Toronto, with Dixon second and Alexander Rossi rounding out the podium in third.
You can read the full race report here.
WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR THIS WEEKEND?
Everything!
15 drivers of this 25 car field are coming to Toronto to the very first time, and that relative inexperience will create plenty of excitement. Four drivers in the top ten in points (O’Ward, Palou, Scott McLaughlin and Colton Herta) are among those who will be taking to the Toronto track for the first time. This Will that inexperience lead to a mistake that costs them points at the start of this four-week stretch?
The inexperience of a lot of the young contenders bodes well for the likes of Power, Newgarden, and Dixon. All have won multiple races at this track, and sit in the top six in points. Not to mention the success that both Team Penske and Chip Ganassi Racing have had at this track. Ganassi is tied for the most wins at the circuit with seven, while Penske has five, including three of the last four races.
We’ve seen just how dominant these teams have been this season as well, with Penske winning six of nine races so far this season. Look for those teams and drivers to be at the front this weekend.
(Photo Credit: Joe Skibinski / Penske Entertainment / Courtesy of IndyCar)
As with many street circuits, track position is incredibly valuable. But qualifying may not be the place to get it. There has not been a repeat polesitter so far this year, evidence of just how competitive this IndyCar field is, but this might just be the race to break that streak. If not, perhaps a bold pit strategy and getting lucky on cautions in the race will be the way to jump through the field, and could even produce a surprise winner on a track where the veterans are predicted to be heavy favorites.
It will also be worth watching to see how the new aeroscreen-equipped IndyCars react to the circuit, and how dramatically that will change car setups. More than any weekend, practice sessions even become must-see affairs.
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Friday 15 July
1130 PST / 1430 EST / 1830 GMT – Practice 1
Saturday 16 July
0700 PST / 1000 EST / 1400 GMT – Practice 2
1100 PST / 1400 EST / 1800 GMT – Qualifying
Sunday 03 July
1200 PST / 1500 EST / 1900 GMT – Race
WHERE CAN I WATCH?
Coverage in the UK for the race will be provided by Sky Sports F1.
In the United States, coverage for all sessions will be streamed on the Peacock streaming service.
HOW CAN I KEEP UP WITH ALL THE ACTION?
You can follow all the all the action here at The Checkered Flag. We will be providing coverage of the practice, qualifying, and race sessions.
You can also follow IndyCar on Twitter (@Indycar) for live updates during the sessions.