Nearly 1,100 days since the last IndyCar race in Toronto, the series returns this weekend for a monumental celebration.
The last time IndyCar raced at Exhibition Place was 2019, before the pandemic took over the world. Today has been circled on the calendars of many people as the return north of the border promises to deliver another round of fantastic racing.
It has been quite the week for the open-wheel series. The messy situation at Andretti Autosport continued, after their drivers clashed at Mid-Ohio. AJ Foyt Racing had to park the No. 11 car driven by Tatiana Calderon after their sponsorship payments stopped coming through. Colton Herta had his first Formula One test with the McLaren Racing team at Portugal’s Portimão circuit, but that wasn’t the biggest news to come out of McLaren this week. Not even close.
On Tuesday afternoon, Chip Ganassi Racing sent out a press release stating that they had picked up the option on Alex Palou for next season. A few hours later, McLaren put out a release of their own, saying that the reigning series champion would be joining their team in some capacity after this season. Then came the series of tweets from Palou, claiming that the quotes in the Ganassi release were not his, and that he would not be returning to the team next year due to personal reasons.
A legal battle is surely on the horizon, and the silly season has officially been flipped on its head. The chaos left many to wonder if Palou would finish out the season in the No. 10 car, but he was in the car at Toronto and the team’s plan is for him to drive in the eight remaining races as he tries to win back-to-back titles. It is truly a remarkable story that will be a major focal point throughout the rest of the season.
With all of that drama producing several storylines to keep tables on, there was also action on the track today, as the 25-car field hit the pavement for a full practice session around the temporary street course.
The 2019 season was good to Alexander Rossi and Simon Pagenaud. The last time IndyCar held a race here, Rossi was fresh off his most recent victory at Road America. Pagenaud has fond memories of this place as well, winning the race from pole position. The two Honda drivers were fastest in the opening session, with Rossi posting a best lap of 60.6090 seconds.
“After two years away, it is so exciting to head back to Toronto,” Rossi said. “It’s always been such an amazing event and on top of that, the…
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