Palou’s group performed the tire technique completely to permit the 2021 champion to steer 52 of the 85 laps, whereas McLaren team-mates Pato O’Ward and Alexander Rossi have been in a position to move Lundgaard’s Rahal Letterman Lanigan automobile to finish the rostrum.
Lundgaard and fellow entrance row starter Felix Rosenqvist (McLaren) elected to start out the race on major tyres, whereas third starter Palou was the one driver within the prime seven to decide on alternates.
Lundgaard made an excellent begin to get the leap on Rosenqvist, however Palou was throughout him utilizing his grippier tires and thru Turns 12 and 13 he acquired forward to cross the road first.
Jack Harvey had additionally handed Rosenqvist to run third, whereas additional across the opening lap Rossi – up from 10th – used his alternates to assert fourth.
Racing was interrupted by yellows flew retrieve the 2 Dale Coyne Racing vehicles of David Malukas and Sting Ray Robb which collided at Flip 7, permitting Scott McLaughlin and Romain Grosjean to pit for brand new entrance wings.
Palou held off Lundgaard on the lap six restart as Harvey misplaced out to Rossi on the again straight after a heavy Flip 1 lockup, the Briton’s flat-spotted tyres inflicting him to tumble again down the order over the next laps.
Behind, reigning champion Will Energy was punted right into a spin at Flip 2 by Kyle Kirkwood, incomes the Andretti Autosport driver a penalty that dropped him to the again of the sector behind his Penske rival.
Lundgaard closed on Palou when his softer tyres began to go off, prompting Palou and fellow alternate starter Rossi pitted on lap 18. Lundgaard adopted them in two laps later for a set of alternates, however emerged two seconds behind Palou, as Rosenqvist and O’Ward went two laps longer.
Lundgaard took the online lead from Palou underneath braking for Flip 7 on lap 24 whereas off-strategy team-mate Graham Rahal led, having twice pitted underneath yellow attributable to struggling harm within the opening laps.
Christian Lundgaard, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
Picture by: Gavin Baker / Motorsport Images
RLL did not ask Rahal to let Lundgaard by, and he was unable to take full benefit of his tyres till Rahal pitted on lap 31. This was 4 laps after O’Ward on alternates handed Rossi on primaries earlier than making an early second cease for primaries.
Palou quickly got here again at Lundgaard, who had misplaced the lead by the point he got here in for a second set of purple tyres. O’Ward’s undercut of each Palou and Lundgaard solely gave him a short lived lead earlier than each navigated a route previous.
Palou (primaries) headed Lundgaard (alternates) and O’Ward on primaries following the conclusion of the second stops, with Rosenqvist (alternates) and Rossi (primaries) chasing behind.
Lundgaard’s second set of alternates left him prey to O’Ward, who moved forward earlier than the Dane made his closing cease on lap 59. Palou got here in on the next tour, each taking primaries, whereas O’Ward switched to alternates at his lap 62 service earlier than resuming second.
When Lundgaard ran out of push-to-pass enhance, Rossi moved forward into Flip 7 with 9 laps to go, however the 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner was unable to catch team-mate O’Ward forward as Palou gained by 16.8s.
Lundgaard needed to accept fifth, simply holding off Rosenqvist who moved into fifth when Colton Herta was referred to as for blocking.
Herta fell again to ninth, forward of Rahal, within the closing laps permitting Ganassi’s Scott Dixon, main Penske runner Josef Newgarden and Marcus Ericsson into the highest eight.
