Motorsport Week
  • Formula 1
    • Formula 1 Calendar
    • Championship Standings
    • Team/Driver Line-Up
    • Session Results
  • Formula E
    • Championship Standings
    • Formula E Calendar
    • Session Results
  • WRC
    • WRC Calendar
    • Championship Standings
  • MotoGP
    • MotoGP Calendar
    • Team/Rider Line-Up
    • Championship Standings
  • IndyCar
    • IndyCar Calendar
    • Championship Standings
  • WEC
    • WEC Calendar
  • More
    • IMSA
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • NASCAR
    • DTM
    • WSeries
    • Extreme E
    • Dakar
    • Technical Insight
    • Galleries
    • About/Contact
    • Privacy Policy
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Register
  • Formula 1
    • Formula 1 Calendar
    • Championship Standings
    • Team/Driver Line-Up
    • Session Results
  • Formula E
    • Championship Standings
    • Formula E Calendar
    • Session Results
  • WRC
    • WRC Calendar
    • Championship Standings
  • MotoGP
    • MotoGP Calendar
    • Team/Rider Line-Up
    • Championship Standings
  • IndyCar
    • IndyCar Calendar
    • Championship Standings
  • WEC
    • WEC Calendar
  • More
    • IMSA
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • NASCAR
    • DTM
    • WSeries
    • Extreme E
    • Dakar
    • Technical Insight
    • Galleries
    • About/Contact
    • Privacy Policy
No Result
View All Result
Motorsport Week
Home Single Seater IndyCar

Sato describes decision not to lift despite hitting wall

by Kevin Dejewski
3 months ago
6
Sato describes decision not to lift despite hitting wall

Sato was smiling while describing his touch with the wall in qualifying. Photo: Kevin Dejewski

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

During Saturday’s qualifying for the Indianapolis 500, Takuma Sato bounced his Dale Coyne Racing Honda off the wall while pushing hard out of turn 2.

Normally that would put an immediate end to the qualification attempt, but the experienced Japanese driver knew that he had to stay in the throttle at over 230 MPH if at all possible.

Sato’s earlier run had been disqualified due to impeding Marco Andretti who was preparing for his own run, and approaching rain meant this might be his only chance to set a time.

After his run, which narrowly earned him a spot in Sunday’s Fat 12 qualifying round, Sato explained what went into the decision to continue his run.

“Two things happened.  After I hit the wall or brushed the wall, shall we say, if the car starts wiggle, which means your drive train has been damaged and we should abort it.

“And also [the team] looks at the tire pressure.  If there’s any indication of weakness on the tire pressure down the back straight, then you should avoid it too because of safety reason to go to turn three.

“Neither things happened, so obviously, when I brushed the wall, there’s two choices: Whether to go flat or not.

“As I said, it’s qualifying.  I decided to go flat, and then basically it saved me in the bubble, but it was in P12.  All in all, I think it was happy.”

Images from pit lane showed the scuffs and scrapes to the side of the car after the run, which included damage to the floor as well as the side of the wheels.

By securing the 12th fastest average speed, Sato will make another run on Sunday afternoon.  If he is in the top half of that group, then he will be able to make one final run for pole.

Tags: Indy500IndyCarSato
Share272Tweet170Share68

Related Posts

Heat and humidity make for ‘unbearable’ conditions behind Aeroscreen
IndyCar

Heat and humidity make for ‘unbearable’ conditions behind Aeroscreen

15 hours ago
McLaughlin scores pole in rain-delayed IndyCar qualifying
IndyCar

McLaughlin scores pole in rain-delayed IndyCar qualifying

18 hours ago
McLaughlin heads up Penske trio in second IndyCar practice
IndyCar

McLaughlin heads up Penske trio in second IndyCar practice

24 hours ago
Load More

Comments 6

  1. Betty says:
    3 months ago

    … here in America, Taku Sato is motor sport royalty –

    Reply
    • Kippy says:
      3 months ago

      You’ve got to hand it to him. Bravest driver on this planet, since Didier Pironi. At Indianapolis, Sato is a category 5 typhoon. That outside pass on Dario, turn 1, had he pulled it off, that would have been three 500 rings on his fingers.

      Reply
      • Yvonne says:
        3 months ago

        Japanese apothegm, even ninja and Samurai must hide from the hurricane.

        Reply
  2. Marty says:
    3 months ago

    Very popular. Everybody loves him. Except Graham Rahal. But then, he hates everybody.

    Reply
    • Ruby says:
      3 months ago

      Kind of funny how his name’s pronounced, in Pakistan and India, “… graaa hum, rrrah haaa.”

      Reply
    • Rick says:
      3 months ago

      Rahal’s handlers should definitely work on keeping his mouth zipped. Strange phenomena, all my years in motor sport, never seen anything like it, for some reason, everybody Rahal complains about, winds up going even faster.

      Reply

Leave a Reply to Kippy Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Heat and humidity make for ‘unbearable’ conditions behind Aeroscreen
IndyCar

Heat and humidity make for ‘unbearable’ conditions behind Aeroscreen

August 7, 2022
McLaughlin scores pole in rain-delayed IndyCar qualifying
IndyCar

McLaughlin scores pole in rain-delayed IndyCar qualifying

August 7, 2022

Drivers’ Standings

# DriverPoints
Will Power431
Marcus Ericsson422
Josef Newgarden399
Scott Dixon393
Patricio O'Ward385
Álex Palou379
Scott McLaughlin350
Alexander Rossi318
Felix Rosenqvist299
Colton Herta285

Click here for full Drivers’ Standings

 

Motorsport Week

© 2021 Motorsport Media Services Ltd

Other Links

  • About & Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Motorsport Monday

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • Home
  • Formula 1
    • Latest News
    • Standings
    • Calendar
    • Team/Driver Line-Up
    • Session Results
  • Formula E
    • Latest News
    • Standings
    • Calendar
    • Session Results
  • MotoGP
    • Latest News
    • Standings
    • Calendar
  • WRC
    • Latest News
    • Standings
    • Calendar
  • IndyCar
    • Latest News
    • Calendar
    • Standings
  • WEC
    • Latest News
    • Calendar
  • Other
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
    • WSeries
    • DTM
    • IMSA
    • NASCAR
    • Extreme E
    • Dakar
  • Galleries
  • About/Contact
  • Privacy Policy

© 2021 Motorsport Media Services Ltd

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In