Marcus Ericsson secured his victory at the inaugural Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham with two crucial passes. The first pass involved a bump between Ericsson and teammate Will Power, followed by Ericsson overtaking Romain Grosjean with four laps remaining to claim his fifth IndyCar career win. Ericsson credited their victory to their exceptional pace and strategic gameplay in the race.
Romain Grosjean finished second, marking his first top-five finish of the year, while Will Power took third place. The driver rankings leader, Alex Palou, crossed the finish line in fourth position. Ericsson, Power, and Kyle Kirkwood, who is second in the driver rankings, are all part of the Andretti Global team.
Following Kirkwood’s crash during the 53rd lap, the team strategically targeted Palou to prevent him from gaining more points and securing his fifth IndyCar title. Despite some miscommunication and minor setbacks during the race, Ericsson successfully maneuvered past Grosjean to claim victory.
Palou earned 32 points in the race, extending his lead over Kirkwood in the standings to 133 points. Grosjean, who has yet to secure an IndyCar victory since transitioning from Formula One, faced challenges with fuel and tire management towards the end of the race.
The racing event in Markham experienced several incidents, with six cautions and multiple cars forced off the course due to collisions. The race marked the first year that Markham hosted the sole IndyCar event in Canada, following its relocation from Toronto’s Exhibition Place. Despite initial challenges with track completion, the drivers praised the venue and expressed optimism for future races at the location.