Mixed reactions after IndyCar’s split session format at St. Pete

IndyCar’s attempts to create more on-track action for fans and more free space for its drivers was met with some strong opinions on whether it should continue at other road and street courses. With the opening 75-minute session at the Firestone …

IndyCar’s attempts to create more on-track action for fans and more free space for its drivers was met with some strong opinions on whether it should continue at other road and street courses.

With the opening 75-minute session at the Firestone Grand Prix structured with a 20-minute window for all 27 drivers to lap the track before the field was split into alternating 10-minute sessions, the concept should have prevented the long periods of inactivity where teams have their drivers sit on pit lane and preserve sets of tires for select moments when the track is clear. The format change is only being trialed on Friday.

And with the series making one set of the faster green-banded Firestone alternate tires available for each car during the Friday session to perform qualifying simulation runs ahead of Saturday’s qualifying session, the Friday afternoon run was an important one for every driver.

But the random timing of red flags during some of those 10-minute blasts meant some drivers had limited or no time on the alternates, which will have a negative impact on the rest of their weekend.

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Pietro Fittipaldi, a first-timer at St. Petersburg, had positives to offer about the format that was tested.

“I think it was good because for me, especially while learning the track, there was less of the traffic and people on out laps slowing me down,” he told RACER. “So for me, it was much better. The idea of the session was to do as many laps as possible. … I haven’t experienced it here without it, so tomorrow’s session will tell me what it’s like with all the cars out there at the same time.”

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Arrow McLaren team principal Gavin Ward questioned the format’s need at anywhere other than the Chevrolet Grand Prix.

“I applaud us for trying something,” he said. “I think it’s only going [to be] worth doing at Detroit. What we suggested here was just to split into two groups and run two separate sessions. I think this was overcomplicated.”

Juncos Hollinger Racing co-owner Ricardo Juncos wasn’t a fan.

“I don’t like it much,” he said. “I think it’s a lot of stress. Right now, with the red flag, it hurst us with [driver Agustin] Canapino. We didn’t get a lot of time. We actually didn’t use the [Firestone] greens, so our lap times [are] pretty massively down. That’s the only chance for him before qualifying, so it screwed the whole thing.”

Ed Carpenter Racing’s Rinus VeeKay had a range of takes to offer.

“I wasn’t pleased with the first 10-minute run,” he said “The second one was nice. But on the other hand, because it went red twice, I barely got a second run. We just got a lot less running in than we usually do. So for me, it was okay, because I’ve been here [in an IndyCar]. I think for [rookie teammate] Christian [Rasmussen who hasn’t], I think it would be better without it because it hits the rookies pretty hard because they need all the laps.”

ECR lead engineer Matt Barnes also saw the pros and cons of the format.

“It’s hard to get everything done, but it’s nice to know you’re gonna have a 10-minute break,” he said. “But this all depends on [when] the reds fall. If you get your laps in, you’re probably happy, but if you didn’t, you’re probably not. I can say it was more smooth than I thought it would be.”

Juncos reconsiders Ilott/Canapino clash at Laguna

With a bit of time and distance between the ugly events that took place within the Juncos Hollinger Racing team after drivers Callum Ilott and Agustin Canapino tangled at the Firestone Monterey Grand Prix, team co-owner Ricardo Juncos has taken a …

With a bit of time and distance between the ugly events that took place within the Juncos Hollinger Racing team after drivers Callum Ilott and Agustin Canapino tangled at the Firestone Monterey Grand Prix, team co-owner Ricardo Juncos has taken a fresh look at the situation and come to a few conclusions that are different than the ones he offered moments after the checkered flag waved.

Ilott and Canapino were given clear directives prior to the start of the 95-lap season finale: Race cleanly, which is a standard order in any multi-car team, and specific to Canapino, whose No. 78 Chevy entry was at risk of losing out on earning $910,000 in guaranteed prize money offered to those who place inside the top 22 in entrants’ points, Ilott — whose No. 77 Chevy was safe in that regard — was asked to do whatever he could to help his teammate secure a Leaders Circle contract for JHR.

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In multiple interviews to Spanish-speaking outlets, Juncos was ​initially unflinching in his support of Argentinian countryman Canapino, whose right-front wing was broken from contact with Ilott’s left-rear tire as the Englishman made a pass around the outside of Canapino in Turn 2 near the end of the race​. Juncos was also critical of Ilott, who was subjected to another torrent of online abuse from some of his teammate’s fans.

Ilott posted in-car footage immediately after the race that showed he was hit by a sliding Canapino in the No. 78 Chevy, but since then, he has remained silent on the matter, leaving Juncos as the primary voice to ​provide clarification and insights on a number of topics related to Monterey.

There are a number of ways to look at the clash between the Juncos Hollinger Racing drivers at Laguna, but Juncos is staying focused on the bigger picture. Richard Dole/Motorsport Images

Speaking from Argentina, Juncos ​a​nswered questions stemming from the heated close to JHR’s season, starting with where he and co-owner Brad Hollinger stand with Ilott for the future.

“My agreement with Callum Ilott is through ’24,” Juncos told RACER. “So like what happened last year when some other teams tr​i​ed to take him, we have a three-year agreement, so as of now, I don’t see why he will not continue.”

JHR plans to confirm its entire lineup in December, and hopes to find the funding to bring Canapino back for his sophomore season.

“The problem is obviously on the last weekend, and all these social media attacks on Callum that obviously magnif​ied the whole situation,” Juncos continued. “But it has no effect at all in my decision to continue with him.”

Among a decent number of those who blamed Ilott and went on the offensive after the race, there was a strong belief he violated an order to not pass Canapino, and was therefore at fault for the contact and damage to the No. 78 car that fell from fifth to 14th. Juncos says that order was never given to Ilott.

​”No, absolutely not,” he said. “The only comments we did to the group is that we as a team are trying to get inside the top 22 with Agustin ​because he was fighting with Andretti and some other guys to get the last Leaders Circle. Second of all, we never ever sent this notice to don’t pass each other. Actually, Agustin, through the whole year, was letting Callum go by every time and he knows he’s a rookie and Callum is the top driver, the number one driver.

“It was a shame they touched with 20 laps to go, so the only thing I sa​i​d as a team owner is you don’t want to see your cars hitting each other. We say that all the time. But we never say to Callum that you cannot pass Agustin. That’s totally false.”

With Canapino’s closest Leaders Circle rivals mired in lap 1 incidents, the No. 78 Chevy was in good standing to deliver a contract to JHR. Canapino was the star of the race — running as high as fourth — while showing front-running pace as he battled with drivers representing IndyCar’s biggest and most successful teams. In the end, he captured 21st in the entrants’ championship.

Referring to the in-car footage of the contact between his drivers, Juncos absolved Ilott of any blame, but did ask if there was a better place the overtake could have been executed.

“Obviously, if you isolate that move, it’s Agustin’s fault,” Juncos said. “But the problem is Agustin never thought that Callum is going to go outside [around Turn 2] to do the pass. He couldn’t believe that from his point of view — Callum had 22 laps to pass Agustin on the straightaway if he wants to, and Agustin was saving fuel, so there was no way he was going to hold Callum’s pace. So in his mind, the pass is gonna be easy, but then it does catch him by surprise. But if you look at the maneuver, it’s Agustin’s fault.”

Juncos also spoke to the lack of intent he saw from the in-car footage.

“Nobody tried to hit each other,” he continued. “Callum doesn’t mean to hit Agustin, and Agustin didn’t mean to hit Callum. And I never said that. If anybody sees the onboard camera, that’s very clear. The only thing I said as a team owner was we should not be risking between the two drivers who are in such a good place for the team. I expect my drivers to think about the team.”

Asked if the temperature within the team has cooled since Monterey where the No. 77 and No. 78 camps split and had limited communication in the hours following the race, Juncos said, “The team is fine​.”

Juncos thinks it’s hard for Americans to fully comprehend the fan support of Canapino in Argentina, which sometimes gets lost in translation. Joe Skibinski/Penske Entertainment

​Next, Juncos open​ed the door on a long and weaving narrative that centered on cultural differences between IndyCar’s English-speaking audience and its Spanish-speaking fans from Argentina.

It would be accurate to say the team’s late and lukewarm rebuke of those who put Ilott in their social media crosshairs was a byproduct of differing views on how online aggression should be ​p​erceived.

“Obviously, we need to talk between all the parties together, face to face,” Juncos said. “And that didn’t happen [in the days after the race] because I went right away to Argentina. So [JHR’s drivers] need to sit down and talk and explain what happened, both of them. I spoke with Callum by phone and I understand his point of view; I agree with some and then he agreed with the risk factor that I was complaining about. He apologized for that because he was the one attacking and he generated the risk for the situation where maybe both cars can be out of the race.

“And that wasn’t a necessary risk at that time of the race, in my opinion. He agrees with that. But we need to sit down and normally these things happen [between teammates] all the time with every team. I don’t know why it’s such a big deal with us.​”

Juncos reiterated a point he’s made a few times since the first attack on Ilott took place after Long Beach in April: The backlash, while undesirable and unpleasant, isn’t out of the norm for what he’s grown accustomed to seeing at home among fans of soccer, motor racing and other sports.

“Listen, the social media needs to be taken as social media​,” he said. ​”You know how much junk is on Twitter? When in Argentinian language and culture they say something in Spanish, and you translate that in English, it’s taken i​n totally the wrong way. We put the statement out to calm the waters down, and it’s been attacked even more because they say we did this in a soft way, and it was later than it should be and all that.

​”I don’t think we need to make a big deal. This happens. The drivers can have the option not to use social media, to block the comments if they’re going to be sensitive to all that.”

​Juncos points to misinterpretation as an underlying problem that’s exacerbated the issue.

“The translation is a problem because there is a passion from the 45 million people here in Argentina,” he said. “And this guy, Agustin, unfortunately, like it or not, he’s a hero here in a country where people tattoo his name on their body and give their child the name of Agustin. He’s a big deal, right? But if you let it go, it’s fine.

“And if this [contact] happened with Pato O’Ward from Mexico, it’s gonna ​have the same [reaction], right? But 20 idiots saying something bad, which obviously I’m not in favor of that at all, cannot be more powerful than all the good things that we did.

“Imagine a Brazil-Argentina soccer match, or Liverpool in England…it’s not just the Argentinian people who says these things. If a guy is ​angry for whatever reason, we should not respond because we need to be smarter than that. So that’s what we need to analyze.​”

He also recognizes that at least within IndyCar’s U.S. fan base, targeted social media hate and threats focused on a driver or team is anything but common.

“We are mixing cultures, which can be dangerous,” Juncos said. “I try to tell people here, the IndyCar fans, to be careful, because the way we act and show our passion doesn’t exist in other places​. That’s not normal and it’s hard for them to understand. This has obviously damaged us in a way. And I agree, we need to talk to IndyCar and have a plan. So we are gonna do our part, gonna listen, and try to do our bes​t to learn from this.”

IndyCar finale recap with Agustin Canapino and Ricardo Juncos

IndyCar driver Agustin Canapino, who ran as high as third in Monterey, joins RACER’s Marshall Pruett for his recap of the crash-filled NTT IndyCar Season finale at Monterey, and after Canapino, his team owner Ricardo Juncos adds some additional …

IndyCar driver Agustin Canapino, who ran as high as third in Monterey, joins RACER’s Marshall Pruett for his recap of the crash-filled NTT IndyCar Season finale at Monterey, and after Canapino, his team owner Ricardo Juncos adds some additional thoughts before we farewell the season.

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Juncos seething after altered track curbing leads to Ilott crash

Juncos Hollinger Racing is working to repair Callum Ilott’s No.77 Chevrolet in time for NTT IndyCar Series qualifying after the car sustained damage in a bizarre crash during practice at Long Beach on Saturday morning, and team co-owner Ricardo …

Juncos Hollinger Racing is working to repair Callum Ilott’s No.77 Chevrolet in time for NTT IndyCar Series qualifying after the car sustained damage in a bizarre crash during practice at Long Beach on Saturday morning, and team co-owner Ricardo Juncos is looking for an explanation as to how the incident was able to happen in the first place.

Ilott was launched into the wall at the outside of Turn 5 in the opening minutes of the session when his car bottomed out hard on a piece of curb. While the curb had been in place when teams did their track walk on Thursday, it was damaged during an IMSA session on Friday and removed before IndyCar’s opening practice session later that afternoon.

The curb was put back in place overnight, but according to IndyCar the repair was not communicated to the teams or series prior to Saturday’s session, meaning that most teams were alerted to its existence by seeing Ilott and then ECR’s Rinus VeeKay hit it and crash.

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“The damage [to Ilott’s car] is all the front-left corner, the nose is completely (destroyed)… it’s a shame. It’s something that we cannot believe happened,” Juncos told RACER.

“They just have a piece of curb that was not there for practice yesterday, and no one knew about it. It’s hard for the driver to see it from inside the car. So (Callum) did exactly the same line as yesterday, and suddenly he has a springboard into the wall. And then we talk about safety. It’s not right.”

With a broken car and virtually no running on the alternate tires, the incident is a massive blow to JHR’s preparations for qualifying, but Juncos is even more frustrated by what he considers to be a lack of accountability.

“The problem, the frustration, is that it was clearly it was not our fault,” he said. “We could have had a driver injured. We lost a lot of money. And nobody has even come to apologize. Nobody has come to give us an explanation. That’s not right. And there’s nothing I can do about it.

“At this level, it’s unacceptable. Everybody makes mistakes; you should admit it. It’s that simple, and that’s what I was expecting. When we make a mistake, we pay for it — we get penalized, we get DQ’d… every time the team or the driver makes a mistake, we pay for it. This time, whether it’s a mistake by IndyCar or by the track… it’s not a mistake by us, that’s for sure. Maybe it is miscommunication. Whatever. I would like to have someone here to explain it, and we haven’t had that yet.”

Penske Entertainment President and CEO Mark Miles was seen entering the JHR hauler shortly after Juncos’s conversation with RACER.

Ilott’s teammate Canapino showed encouraging speed for Juncos Hollinger Racing in practice.  Michael Levitt/Motorsport Images

While he waits for answers, Juncos’s focus is switching to turning the team’s weekend around.

“We made some changes from yesterday on both cars, and unfortunately with Callum, he couldn’t try it,” he said. “But Agustin (Capanino) said the car is really, really nice now. He was 0.6s off P1 with the blacks, and then with the greens we couldn’t even make one lap because of traffic. So today he needs to learn two things — one is the traffic and making the proper gap, and the other one is maximizing the grip on the greens. We had everybody improve by six or seven tenths, so if we put that into consideration we can be P8, P10 with him. So that’s good.”

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