Sato Dominates 2019 Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama
Photo: Honda
The 2019 Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama, taking place at Barber Motorsports Park, is aptly named, as it was a Honda driver who dominated the event virtually from start to finish.
Takuma Sato, who won the 101st running of the Indy 500, started at the front of the pack after capturing his eighth career pole. Though pit strategy mixed up most of the drivers throughout the race, Sato held on to the lead for 74 of the 90 laps at the Barber Motorsports Park, including at the most important time: when a caution flag on lap 60 made it a straight race to the finish.
His win follows that of fellow Honda driver Colton Herta two weeks ago, though the two drivers are on polar opposite ends of their careers. Sato is the second oldest competitors in the 2019 IndyCar Series while Herta’s victory at the Circuit of the Americas made him the youngest ever IndyCar winner at just 18.
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“This is for the team, for their fantastic effort,” Sato said. “Our car was superb, you know. I mean, red tire, black tire, I never had to worry about anything. So full credit to the team. It’s a great result.
Sato crossed the finish line just over two seconds before Scott Dixon, who was followed by Sebastian Bourdais, making it a podium sweep for Honda-powered teams. In fact, Honda took eight of the top 10 spots, keeping it ahead in the manufacturer’s championship. Sato meanwhile jumped to third in the driver’s standings.
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