Marcus Ericsson won the inaugural IndyCar race at Markham Street on Sunday, charging past Romain Grosjean in the final laps to secure his first victory with Andretti Global.
The event at the temporary circuit in Ontario, Canada, featured multiple lead changes and late pressure as competitors handled tight corners and unforgiving barriers. Grosjean led for much of the final segment but lost the advantage to Ericsson’s final push.
Ericsson’s late charge
Ericsson’s victory followed a calculated pit strategy. He remained on track longer than most during the final caution, saving fresh tires and fuel for a late charge. The decision left him ninth with 18 laps to go, yet his speed quickly moved him forward.
“We were the fastest car all day, I felt like,” Ericsson told IndyCar on Fox. “But then obviously there were a lot of yellows, so we had to stay out because I wanted to show the pace and try and open that gap and not drop back into the back of the field. So we just scrambled on staying out, and I had the pace, and we were laughing so quickly. Then obviously coming out sixth, seventh or whatever, it was a lot of work to get through these leaders, and fortunately I had a bit of a touch-up with Will; you never want that, but I had to get forward because I knew I could win this race.”
Related: Logano Wins at Richmond
His advance faced a brief setback when he made contact with teammate Will Power in the closing laps. Ericsson recovered, passing Alex Palou in quick succession. With five laps remaining, he overtook Grosjean and maintained the lead as a late caution for Kyffin Simpson’s spin bunched the field.
A race of mistakes and near-misses
The closing laps proved chaotic. Palou, who had recovered from an early deficit, made an uncharacteristic error while challenging Grosjean, damaging his tires and ceding position to Ericsson. Power, running third, was caught in the aftermath.
The track’s barriers claimed several victims. Louis Support, Mick Schumacher, and Kyle Kirkwood all crashed after contact, while Christian Lundgaard fought setup problems throughout the weekend.
Podium finishes and points battle
Power held off Palou and Arrow-McLaren’s Pato O’Ward to claim third, his third podium of the season.
Related: Ferrari Luce EV reaches first year sales target
Ericsson’s win follows Andretti Global’s recent contract extension for the 2022 Indianapolis 500 champion. It marks his first triumph with the team after a slow start to the year.
Andretti nearly achieved a historic top-five sweep, with three cars in the top five before the late caution.
The series moves to Road America in two weeks, where drivers will tackle the fast, sweeping layout in Wisconsin.
