The Chip Ganassi Racing driver grabbed too much kerb on the inside of Turn 5 of the legendary street course during Friday’s sole practice session, so that the underside of the car grounded out, taking weight off his wheels just as he needed maximum grip to complete the corner.
Johnson hit the tyre wall on the outside and his right hand took the strain as the steering wheel wrenched it around.
Johnson then headed to hospital and while there were rumours that Ganassi’s IMSA ace Sebastien Bourdais might sub for Johnson, the seven-time NASCAR champion elected to continue in his second ever GP of Long Beach. His decision was made easier by the Ganassi team managing to devise a neat carbonfibre splint for his hand to minimise the strain.
Unfortunately, the weekend didn’t get any easier for Johnson, and this was arguably his most torrid IndyCar event yet. In Saturday morning practice, he slid head-on into the Turn 1 tyre barrier and in qualifying on Saturday afternoon he was…
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