Los Angeles (AFP)
A great day for the Penske team: Australian Will Power won the Portland Grand Prix and his teammate Josef Newgarden got closer to the title, finishing 5th Sunday in the penultimate race of the Indycar season.
The French Simon Pagenaud, 7th in Portland, ranks third in the championship standings (551 pts), 42 points Newgarden (593 pts), and a small point behind the American Alexander Rossi (552 pts).
The Poitevin, who has made a nice comeback after starting 18th, can still dream of the title in case of favorable circumstances because the last race, on the emblematic Californian circuit of Laguna Seca on September 22, will count double and report well 100 points to the winner.
The other French driver Sébastien Bourdais took the 9th place in Portland and is 11th in the championship (335 points).
Will Power was constantly at the forefront and led half of the race on the Oregon road circuit. Second on the starting grid, the veteran Australian has taken the lead and repelled the last assault of the Swede Felix Rosenqvist on a final restart to win his second victory of the season, the 37th of his career.
Newgarden, meanwhile, managed to get up from 13th at the start to 5th, which allowed him to increase his lead at the top of the rankings. A fourth place in the last race would be enough to win the title.
New Zealander Scott Dixon, 4th in the championship, did the wrong operation of the day: at the front of the race at the halfway point, he was forced to pit again due to an electrical problem and finished at three. winner's laps, in 16th place. He would now need a miracle to win the championship.
Portland Grand Prix Ranking:
1. Will Power (AUS), the 105 laps in 1 hour 58 min 43 sec
2. Felix Rosenqvist (SWE) at 2.7885 seconds
3. Alexander Rossi (USA)
4. Colton Herta (USA)
5. Josef Newgarden (USA)
...
7. Simon Pagenaud (FRA)
9. Sébastien Bourdais (FRA)
Indycar championship standings after 16 of 17 races:
1. Josef Newgarden (USA) 593 points
2. Alexander Rossi (USA) 552
3. Simon Pagenaud (FRA) 551
4. Scott Dixon (NZL) 508
5. Will Power (AUS) 469
...
11. Sébastien Bourdais (FRA) 335
© 2019 AFP