Ericsson: “Nothing wrong with that move” in Palou clash at Road America

After Palou and Ericsson qualified third and fourth respectively – Ericsson’s best grid position of the year – the pair had retained those positions from the start.

Following the long run down to Turn 5 on lap 4, Palou appeared to brake slightly early in response to being so close behind the second-placed car of Josef Newgarden, while also choosing to take the fastest racing line to the 90-degree left-hander. That left the inside line open to Ericsson who braked later, and filled the gap.

Ericsson ran only slightly deeper on exit than leader Alexander Rossi and Newgarden, but Palou turned in toward the apex and his left-front wheel made contact with his team-mate’s right rear, and so he broke a toelink.

Possibly without the benefit of seeing a replay, Palou made some uncharacteristically salty comments following his mandatory trip to the IndyCar medical centre, including, “I just think he was trying to win the race on the third [sic] lap, and the car broke and that’s it, game over.”

Ericsson saw no case to answer immediately after the race and remained unrepentant in the post-race press conference, despite throwing some sympathy Palou’s way.

“From inside the car, the door was open there,” he said. “I went for the move alongside him at the apex, made the corner. From my side, he turns into me from the outside lane.

“You hate to see your team-mate retire from a contact with you: that's the last thing you want to do. [But] I don't see I did anything wrong. It was a fully race move. Might have been early in the race, but this is a track-position race. If you get an opportunity, you need to go for it.

“As I said, there was nothing wrong with that move. That was clear on the TV pictures.”

Marcus Ericsson, Chip Ganassi Racing