Honda Rules in the Motor City – Palou Wins Detroit Grand Prix
Streets of Detroit
・Alex Palou scores his second win in three races; extends his championship points lead
・Honda increases edge in Manufacturers’ Championship
・Chip Ganassi Racing places all four Honda entries in the top 10
It was Honda power ruling the day in Detroit, with Chip Ganassi Racing's Alex Palou scoring his second NTT INDYCAR SERIES victory in three races and extending his championship lead to 51 points Sunday at the Detroit Grand Prix.
Palou now holds more than a full-race win's-worth of points over his Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Marcus Ericsson; and extends Honda's Manufacturers' title lead to 22 points over rival Chevrolet.
Other Honda Cars finishing in the top-10 today included Palou's Chip Ganassi Racing teammates Scott Dixon, fourth; Marcus Armstrong, eighth; and Ericsson, ninth—as well as Kyle Kirkwood for Andretti Autosport.
Kirkwood made an incredible recovery drive to sixth after being hit in the rear on lap one and losing his rear wing. He would restart 26th after the incident, and moved up 20 positions in the 100-lap event to cross the line sixth.
Fast Facts
Honda continues to lead the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Manufacturers' Championship, with four victories and six poles in the first seven races this season. Honda currently has an unofficial 22-point advantage (575-553) over rival Chevrolet. The company is seeking its fifth NTT INDYCAR SERIES Manufacturers' Championship in the last six years in 2023.
Honda drivers leave Detroit ranked first, second and fourth in the INDYCAR Drivers' Championship points standings. Chip Ganassi Racing's Alex Palou leads the title fight with 273 points; followed by teammates Marcus Ericsson is second with 221 points and Scott Dixon fourth with 194.
Honda drivers and teams now have won seven of the last 10 NTT INDYCAR SERIES events run in Detroit.
Next
After four consecutive weekends of action, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES now takes a one-week break before resuming at the National Park of Speed, Wisconsin's Road America, for the June 16-18 Sonsio Grand Prix.
The #10 Ridgeline Lubricants car was on point today. Honda gave us everything we needed today in fuel mileage and all the power. I am super proud of the job we did. It was tricky at the end with those tires, I couldn't really get them up to temperature. We had a [gearbox] issue that was probably my fault, but I am proud that we got it back and got another win this year! It's still too early [to think about the championship]. We'll keep focused on the next few races—there's a few that I really love coming. We'll keep on pushing!
The #10 Ridgeline Lubricants car was on point today. Honda gave us everything we needed today in fuel mileage and all the power. I am super proud of the job we did. It was tricky at the end with those tires, I couldn't really get them up to temperature. We had a [gearbox] issue that was probably my fault, but I am proud that we got it back and got another win this year! It's still too early [to think about the championship]. We'll keep focused on the next few races—there's a few that I really love coming. We'll keep on pushing!
A bit of a frustrating day, because we should've finished first or second. The car was really fast; the Honda fuel mileage was super easy to get and the driveability was great. I think we had a lot more pace than the two cars finishing just ahead of us. I should've used more OT (overtake) after the last pit stop to get past Will [Power].
A bit of a frustrating day, because we should've finished first or second. The car was really fast; the Honda fuel mileage was super easy to get and the driveability was great. I think we had a lot more pace than the two cars finishing just ahead of us. I should've used more OT (overtake) after the last pit stop to get past Will [Power].
It was a fantastic comeback for the #27 Autonation Honda and our crew. We crushed it when it mattered. We were all the way back in 26th after getting hit in an incident that wasn't our fault. So we dealt with damage the entire race, but we still had a really fast race car, and fast pit stops. We were one of the fastest cars out there. So it was a good day all-in-all, based on how we came back to P6 at the end.
It was a fantastic comeback for the #27 Autonation Honda and our crew. We crushed it when it mattered. We were all the way back in 26th after getting hit in an incident that wasn't our fault. So we dealt with damage the entire race, but we still had a really fast race car, and fast pit stops. We were one of the fastest cars out there. So it was a good day all-in-all, based on how we came back to P6 at the end.
A really good day for Honda and HPD. Winning from the pole, our sixth in seven races, and our fourth win of the year, and leading both the Manufacturers' and Drivers' points. Congratulations to Alex Palou and the entire CGR organization; and thanks to everyone at HPD. It's been a long and hard few weeks, coming off the back of Indianapolis and here in Detroit. So it will be good to have a bit of a breather next weekend!
A really good day for Honda and HPD. Winning from the pole, our sixth in seven races, and our fourth win of the year, and leading both the Manufacturers' and Drivers' points. Congratulations to Alex Palou and the entire CGR organization; and thanks to everyone at HPD. It's been a long and hard few weeks, coming off the back of Indianapolis and here in Detroit. So it will be good to have a bit of a breather next weekend!