St Petersburg GP – Race: Montoya snatches victory from Power

IndyCar starts off with a bang. There were 20 drivers within the same second during the 3rd free practice session on Saturday morning. The tone was set.

The start is set for 3:30 PM, local time, under a big blue sky in Florida. The track temperature is 48°, and the air is 23°. The top 10 are starting on soft tires.

At the start, most of the drivers remain cautious. Simon Pagenaud quickly loses a position to Helio Castroneves. The Brazilian is the most victorious of the untitled drivers. The four-time IndyCar runner-up holds 41 pole positions and 29 victories, including 3 Indy 500 wins. Approaching 40, he is still a formidable contender for the championship.

Power attack

Will Power attacks right from the start, but the Safety Car comes out at the end of the first lap due to debris on the track. On the restart, the poleman picks up a steady pace. Will Power is very calm at the start of this season. He finally clinched the title in 2014, after being blocked by Dario Franchitti in 2010/2011 and by Ryan Hunter-Reay in 2012. He knows that with Penske, he is with the best team in the field.

Stefano Coletti quickly moves up from 17th to 12th place. The Monegasque showed good top speed during pre-season tests but failed to deliver in qualifying.

There’s no use in running; you must start on time.

The race is unfolding quietly with small car trains and few overtakes. The teams have very few spare parts. Later in the race, Takuma Sato had to borrow the front wing of Carlos Huertas, who was forced to retire. The first pit stops begin around the 20th lap under green flag. Following a collision between Munoz and De Silvestro on the 22nd lap, the leaders pit to change tires and refuel in case of a Safety Car, which finally comes out on the 26th lap.

Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi driver and triple champion, encounters a very rare problem with the hydraulic lifting system of his car. He is severely handicapped for his tire change. He finds himself last, 1 lap behind the leaders.

There’s no point in starting on time… you have to run!

The restart occurs on the 33rd lap. Juan Pablo Montoya pulls off a bold double overtake at the end of the straight on Pagenaud and Hawksworth. The Colombian has lost none of his fighting spirit. The bad boy of Bogota has found the keys to success in the second half of the 2014 season.

But the friction between drivers once again caused damage to bodywork components and brought out the Safety Car before the end of this 33rd lap.

The competition is fierce.

After the restart on the 37th lap, the fights begin to rage, and contacts multiply. However, the 4 Penske cars powered by Chevrolet are untouchable, particularly Will Power, followed by Castroneves, Montoya, and Pagenaud. The first Honda is Graham Rahal’s, in 9th position. The American has been several times the best-placed Honda driver during pre-season tests. After missing his qualifications (starting 15th), the American made his pride known during the warm-up by finishing at the top of the time sheet.

Legal Harpooning

On the 47th lap, Simona de Silvestro collides with James Jakes at the braking of the final corner. New safety car. The entire field stops at the pits, and Helio Castroneves takes the opportunity to pass Power. Hawksworth and Sage Karam do not stop and find themselves at the front of the race.

At the restart on lap 54, Power and Montoya manage to overtake the front two. Charlie Kimball is hit by Pagenaud while braking at turn 4. At turn 10, the American spins after contact with his compatriot Graham Rahal, who receives a penalty. The Safety Car comes out on track again before letting the pack go at lap 59.

Fights on every floor

Will Power and Montoya quickly make a break at the front. They are both on another planet. Two other battles are taking place between Kanaan and Castroneves for 3rd place, and Pagenaud and Bourdais for 5th place.

The 83rd lap triggers the flurry of pit stops under a green flag. Montoya managed to take the lead over Power at the front of the race. It’s an all-out battle between the two Team Penske teammates.

As an old hand

With 10 laps to go, Montoya is in first place while Power struggles to keep up with the Colombian’s pace. In 3rd position, Kanaan is sandwiched between the Penske cars as he precedes Castroneves and Pagenaud. Sébastien Bourdais is 6th ahead of the leading Honda, driven by Ryan Hunter Reay. The positions will not change. Stefano Coletti, 8th at the end of the race, is forced to pit again and finishes 20th.

Juan Pablo Montoya thus claims his 13th victory in North American single-seaters. At 39 years old, he shows that he is a force to be reckoned with in 2015 and proves that Team Penske will be formidable this year.

St. Petersburg Grand Prix 2015: