Shy Sato braces for spotlight after Indy 500 win

He also anticipates a return to Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was thrilling, unpredictable and at times harrowing.

Takuma Sato won the 101st Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, holding off three-time victor Helio Castroneves and denying him a shot at history.

Sure, he’s been racing in the IndyCar Series for 17 years – racking up 23 wins overall – but while congratulating Sato, Castroneves joked about how age isn’t going to stop him from chasing his fourth Indy 500 win.

Sato, who started from the second row, beat Castroneves by two-tenths of a second. The team’s lone full-time driver, JR Hildebrand, is still in 13th place in the championship standings despite missing the Barber race earlier this season. His only previous IndyCar Series win was at the Grand Prix of Long Beach in 2013.

He gave Andretti Autosport its second consecutive victory and third in the last four years.

“You did great, especially for your first time”, Castroneves said. “You just hold on and let the safety (do its job)”. I can really trust him on the outside. “I can really (trust him) coming from the outside”.

Takuma Sato poses in his Indianapolis 500 winning auto.

But that only happened after Hunter-Reay led 28 laps, second only to Max Chilton, and Alonso had been in front for 27. “We only needed one to come through”.It was only the second IndyCar victory for Sato, who won driving for A.J. Foyt at Long Beach in 2013.Sato’s victory gave Andretti a second consecutive win in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing”.Castroneves spent the rest of the race playing cat-and-mouse with Sato and nearly had him just as the second-to-last lap began.

Sitting alongside him in front of the world’s media was Helio Castroneves – the experienced three-time victor of the event who had just pipped the UAE resident to second place.

This was another golden opportunity for Castroneves to join Hall of Famers A.J. Foyt, Rick Mears and Al Unser as celebrated four-time Indy 500 winners. “It was so close”.

But is this really in the best interest for the Indy 500? “We showed the great result today and I am very proud of it”. Specifically, he lamented giving up the lead to de Ferran after slowing for a lapped auto. “I’ve learned a lot already, feel I have a good idea of what to do. They worked really hard to get us here”, said Andretti.

It just wasn’t Fernando Alonso.

Alonso’s race came to a premature conclusion 24th place with a mechanical issue after 179 laps.

“So for the future, Canada, obviously we will try to keep improving”, said Alonso.

“The last two laps, I was pushing Sato”, he laughed. I came here basically to prove myself, to challenge myself.

Next season will see the debut of a new spec aerodynamic configuration for the DW12, it appears likely that the Indy 500 broadcast situation could be marginally different and the schedule still remains an unknown. “Thanks to IndyCar, an fantastic experience”.

Racing down the front straightaway side-by-side with Sato as Lap 198 ended and Lap 199 began, Castroneves momentarily pulled ahead of Sato – bringing a roar from the crowd. But just, you know, waiting (for) the moment. Exactly two teams led a lap. The race was slowed by 11 cautions periods for a total of 50 laps.

Castroneves caught a second break shortly after the restart.

Buddy Lazier was involved in a single-car incident on Lap 122. Castroneves drives for legendary team owner Roger Penske, who has a record 16 Indy 500 victories. Complaining of chest discomfort, Lazier was transported to IU Health Methodist Hospital, where he was treated and released.

The two-time Formula 1 champion was competitive, led the third-most number of laps, endeared himself to IndyCar fans and most importantly, didn’t win.

“Pretty bad end to the day for the Arrow Electronics Schmidt Peterson Motorsports crew”, said Hinchcliffe, post-race.

Instead, an engine failure 21 laps from the finish cost the 35-year-old a chance to battle for the win, and left everyone hungry for an encore. “I had a headache and kind of feeling not great, and oh, my gosh, was it just a dream?” he wondered.