2013 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach

The Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach 2013 took place on 21 April at the Long Beach Grand Prix Circuit in Long Beach, California, United States place and was the third race of the IndyCar Series season 2013. It was the 39th Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.

• 3.1 qualifying
• 3.2 race 3.2.1 guiding portions
• 3.2.2 yellow phase

• 4.1 Drivers' Championship

Reports

Background

After the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama Hélio Castroneves led in the drivers' standings with 9 points on Scott Dixon and 13 points on Ryan Hunter -Reay.

When Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach drivers were a total of 170 seconds to use the push-to -pass button. The overtaking was allowed to be activated ten times in the race.

For the Grand Prix of Long Beach, the tire regulations have been adjusted. Every driver who drives more than five rounds in the first training receives for this training an extra set of the harder tire compound.

Mike Conway returned to the IndyCar Series in this Grand Prix. He received a cockpit at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, who used an additional vehicle. Conway had ended after the Grand Prix of Baltimore in 2012 his motorsport career on ovals, and was therefore without full-time cockpit for the 2013 season.

Dario Franchitti was the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach for the 250th time in a IndyCar race at the start.

With Sebastien Bourdais (three times), Will Power (twice), Castroneves, Franchitti, Hunter -Reay, and Conway ( once each ) were six winners at this Grand Prix.

Training

In the first session James Hinchcliffe drove the fastest lap in front of Conway and Takuma Satō. Shortly before the end of the training Josef Newgarden set off a red flag by slipped straight into turn 9 at the end of the counter- degrees. The second training was interrupted four times. Sebastian Saavedra drove in curve 6 in the emergency exit, as he had braked himself. There he turned his vehicle and drove on the way back to the track in the limit. The second interruption triggered Justin Wilson, who drove in the eighth curve into the tire wall. Simona de Silvestro, who was right behind Wilson, it no longer evade succeeded, and drove into the back of Wilson. For the third interruption Dixon was responsible, who lost control at Turn 9 of his vehicle and struck the left side into the barriers. He damaged both left hangers. The last interruption triggered by an accident EJ Viso. Hunter -Reay was the fastest rider in front of Conway and Power.

In the third training Simon Pagenaud set the fastest time with power and Conway. Red flags triggered in this Training Power and Castroneves. Power started training after a repair of the rear wing on again.

Qualifying

The first part of the session was held in two groups. The six fastest drivers in each group came to the second segment. The remaining starting positions were determined from the result of the first Qualifyingabschnitts, where the drivers of the first group, the odd positions from 13, and the drivers of the second group were assigned to the even positions from 14. In the first group Franchitti drove the fastest lap in the second group was the fastest pilot power. In the second group Dixon, thereby Oriol Servia was hampered turned. First, both pilots were punished in them the two fastest laps were deleted. After a protest, the race organizers picked the penalty against Servia. In addition, Marco Andretti were deleted the two fastest laps, as he had JR Hildebrand blocked.

In the second segment of qualifying, the six fastest riders qualified for the final section. Conway scored the fastest lap time. Next to him, managed Power, Franchitti, Hunter -Reay, Satō and Castroneves in the third part of qualifying, the so-called Firestone Fast Six.

Franchitti finally posted the fastest time and achieved the pole position ahead of Hunter -Reay and Power.

Tristan Vautier was moved due to a premature engine change by ten grid positions to the rear.

Final training

In the final training session on Sunday morning Satō was the fastest driver in front Newgarden and Viso.

Race

Franchitti held the lead at the start before Hunter -Reay, Satō, Power and Hinchcliffe. Further back there was a collision between Dixon and Vautier. Dixon damaged thereby the front wing and went to the pits. A little later crashed Saavedra in curve 10 was a result triggered a yellow phase.

At the restart Castroneves drove into the back of Conway at Fountain - section. Then, Castroneves had to a repair pit stop. The race went without incident, until Charlie Kimball and Alex Tagliani collided in the 30th round. Kimball missed the braking point and pulled Tagliani, who was on the winger, with the tire barrier. The collision caused a caution period. Both pilots took the race on again. Shortly before Franchitti was run under green on the box and had given the lead to power. In the yellow phase, the other drivers completed their pit stops and Satō took the lead ahead of Power, Franchitti, Graham Rahal and Conway. Power had problems with the harder tire compound, which he used now, and lost successive positions.

Shortly after the restart, there was a collision. Hinchcliffe missed the braking point for the first corner and collided first with Tony Kanaan and then with his teammate Viso. Hinchcliffe's race was stopped immediately by this collision, Viso was a long time in the pits and later completed a few laps. Shortly after the restart, Conway gave up with Elektornikproblemen.

Satō was leading the race to continue. In the 50th round of Hunter -Reay missed while lapping of Beatriz the braking point in the eighth curve and retired from there. The accident triggered a yellow phase, at which the pilots completed their final pit stops. This led to an incident in the pit lane. Vautier was zufrüh leave from his crew left, so that he collided with the einbiegenden before him power. Power came a lap later to repairs to the box. This Power lost more positions. Vautier has been demonstrated for the collision with a drive-through penalty. During the caution period AJ Allmendinger gave up with a gearbox failure.

At the restart Satō defended the lead and kept it until the end of the race. Shortly before the end of the race came in the first turn to a collision between Canaan and Servia. The two pilots were at this time on the fifth and sixth. While Canaan retired, Servia drove on. Servia was initially punished with a 30-second time penalty for avoidable contact, the race organizers raised this however again. In the accident, Canaan injured his right hand. He suffered a torn ligament. The race was ended under yellow.

Satō finally scored his first victory in 52 IndyCar races. He thus also became the first Japanese IndyCar winner. AJ Foyt Enterprises for it was the first IndyCar win since Ameristar Casino Indy 200 in 2002. Airton There Daré won for the team. The last victory of the team on a non- oval course AJ Foyt achieved at the Daily Empress Indy Silverstone 1978. Moreover, it was the first victory for Satō for more than ten years. Most recently, he had won the 2001 Macau Grand Prix. AJ Foyt team owner was not on site due to health problems.

Rahal was second ahead of Wilson and Franchitti. Wilson, who had started from 24th place, was passed in the final phase of Franchitti. This stood for the first time in the season only Honda rider on the podium. Some distance Hildebrand, Servia, Andretti, Pagenaud, de Silvestro and Castroneves completed the top 10 Power posted for the first time in his career, not a top - 10 ranking in Long Beach.

In the overall standings Castroneves maintained the lead. Satō took second place and displaced Dixon to third place.

Message list

All teams and drivers used the chassis Dallara DW12 with an aero kit from Dallara and a Firestone tire.

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Classifications

Qualifying

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Race

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Guide sections

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Yellow phases

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Points standings after the race

Drivers' championship

The scoring is explained here.