Takuma Sato wins Indy 500 as engine failure ends Fernando Alonso’s race

Takuma Sato has won the 101st running of the Indianapolis 500 after a dramatic race at the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The 40-year-old Japanese driver came through in the last few laps of the race to take victory over Hélio Castroneves in second.

Sato, a former Formula One driver, had only won one IndyCar race previously since joining the series in 2010. He had come close to winning the race in 2012, however, when he crashed out on the final lap as he battled Dario Franchitti for the lead. This time he held his nerve to give Andretti Autosport its third victory in four years at the Brickyard and shouted “Awesome!” into his radio as his win was confirmed. Ed Jones, Max Chilton and Tony Kanaan finished third, fourth and fifth respectively.

Much of the pre-race attention had been on Fernando Alonso, the two-time Formula One world champion who was competing as a 35-year-old rookie at the Indy 500. He held the lead several times before his engine blew with fewer than 25 laps of the 200-lap race to go. Up to that point the Spaniard had driven brilliantly, and was given an ovation by the fans as his day ended…

Source: Takuma Sato wins Indy 500 as engine failure ends Fernando Alonso’s race | Sport | The Guardian