After running third in the opening stint, Palou took the lead after Ganassi pitted him two laps earlier than his chief rivals ahead, Colton Herta of Andretti Autosport and Josef Newgarden of Team Penske, who went on to win.
Palou then fended off the pair who were dueling with each other through the middle stint, but after also requiring to make his second stop early, as he braked for Turn 1 he saw Newgarden emerging from his stop just ahead. The Ganassi driver tried to take advantage of his warmer tires and looked down the inside Turn 4 and around the outside at Turn 5, but could not find a way through.
Once Newgarden had his tires up to temperature, Palou had to keep his eyes on his mirrors, especially when Ericsson crashed out, allowing Romain Grosjean, who was running Firestone’s alternate tires on this final stint, onto his tail. Into Turn 1 on Lap 69, Palou kept him at bay, but at the same spot the following lap, the Frenchman got through.
“We had to be aggressive with…
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