As Josef Newgarden won, Santino Ferrucci scores his best INDYCAR result. (Photo: Stephen Conley | The Podium Finish)
SPEEDWAY, Ind. – All month long, Santino Ferrucci dazzled the crowd the moment he strapped in the No. 14 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet. Despite having a career-best third-place finish in Sunday’s 107th Indianapolis 500, it was an agonizing result as anything but an Indy 500 win was a disappointment.
All he could hope for was a sheer divine intervention that Josef Newgarden and Marcus Ericsson would have something go wrong in the one-lap shootout.
Therefore, such loss when a shot of Indy glory was there can feel bittersweet for the ferocious racer, more so when AJ Foyt Racing were contenders that could go toe-to-toe with Penske, Ganassi and Arrow McLaren in “The Racing Capital of the World.”
“It was emotional getting in the car, which was kind of strange because you feel like there’s a lot of people that really want this, the team really wants this,” Ferrucci said. “We worked so hard to be where we were. We ran out front all day long.
“It’s definitely one of the more difficult races that I’ve probably ever run, and just we also knew that we had a really good car.”
Ferrucci’s road to a top-three result almost did not happen as he narrowly avoided the spinning Felix Rosenqvist with 16 to go. This moment led to the first of three red flags after Kyle Kirkwood collided into Rosenqvist, resulting him winding upside down in Turn 2. Both drivers were okay as Ferrucci carried on with his race.
Coming to four to go, Ferrucci, who led 11 laps, went three-wide on Ericsson and Newgarden right out of the gate, but another caution came out.
This time, the caution involved his teammate Benjamin Pedersen and Ed Carpenter at start/fine line of bricks. INDYCAR ruled Ferrucci to restart third in the one-lap dash, but a strong restart by Ericsson and Newgarden’s later race-winning move on the backstretch ended his aspirations of winning the 500.
It all came down to one lap to crown an Indy 500 champion. (Photo: Wayne Riegle | The Podium Finish)
“We got really close with Felix when he was wrecking so very thankful we were able to avoid that,” he said. “Coming to the end, I think on the second to final restart, me and Marcus battling it into 1. Obviously it going red when it did, it’s part of this place, it’s part of racing, it’s part of the speedway.
“Just bummed because I’m sure Marcus thinks the same thing I do. We definitely, all three of us could have won it at any point in time. It’s bittersweet.”
Regarding this year’s Indy 500 as the first to have at least three red flags since 1973, when it had four, Ericsson was not pleased whatsoever. On the other hand, Ferrucci did not mind INDYCAR’s crucial decision call of attempt with having a green flag finish.
“I think they did a great job. It’s just I think Marcus has a slightly different opinion which is totally cool because he finished second,” he said. “Sitting there third is tough. There is nothing you can do other than watch. We had such a great day. That’s where the bittersweet is. I’m very happy for the boys.”
When the dust finally settled, Ferrucci is now 5-for-5 in top-10 finishes in the Indy 500 and his first top-three result of his INDYCAR career. One goal is set into stone and he will come back in 2024 and improve his result by two spots.
“This place does pick you as a winner. It’s very true,” said Ferrucci. “But I just really wanted to win this race like everybody else. We’ll come back next year probably a little stronger.”
