P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden lost out on a chance to pass Alex Palou in the No. 10 Honda for the win last weekend at St. Petersburg and fell to third behind Scott Dixon’s No. 9 car in the final tw…
Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden missed an opportunity to overtake Alex Palou for the win at St. Petersburg due to a refueling issue and ultimately finished third behind Scott Dixon in the final moments of the race. The unexpected shift in fuel strategy on the last lap forced Newgarden into emergency mode to conserve fuel and secure a podium finish. Race engineer Luke Mason clarified that the ‘shift’ referred to a fuel error, not a mechanical gearbox problem, which required Newgarden to coast across the finish line to avoid running out of fuel. Despite the setback, Newgarden’s team acknowledged that finishing third was better than risking a lower position due to fuel shortage, with the root cause of the issue being traced back to refueling problems during the last two pit stops. Mason highlighted that the new fuel flow sensors played a crucial role in identifying the refueling problems, suggesting that without these issues, Newgarden’s outcome could have been more favorable.
