Alex Palou will look for the miracle in Portland from fourth place

the new zealand Scott McLaughlin (Team Penske) took pole position at Saturday’s Portland Grand Prix and maintained his mathematical chances of winning the IndyCar championshipa match in which, with two races remaining, Álex Palou (Chip Ganassi Racing) follows, starting in fourth position.

The points earned for first place in the standings put McLaughlin 53 points behind Australian Will Power, his Team Penske teammate and championship leader.

It seems complicated that he can reduce so much distance, but McLaughlin, despite this, does not give up anything.

“Until I’m mathematically out there, I want to keep fighting hard and try to win races.. I feel very good in the car, we are preparing very good things for next year, I am proud of this group,” he said in the American broadcast.

This Saturday was another successful day for Team Penske, who entered three of their drivers in the top three positions on the grid.

Thus, McLaughlin also joined the two top favorites for the championship: the American Josef Newgarden (second overall, three points behind the lead) and Will Power.

Power was fastest in morning practice and very close to achieving the fastest qualifying time and make history, as it breaks the tie for the number of total poles it currently holds with Mario Andretti (67 in total).

He’ll still get another chance next week at Laguna Seca, the race that will close the 2022 IndyCar season.

“I feel we had a good chance to get pole here. It’s with me alreadyPower commented as he got out of his car.

Despite setting the second fastest time, Newgarden was relegated to eighth on the grid because this Sunday was penalized six places for changing engines.

This penalty allows Will Power, Christian Lundgaard, Alex Palou, Pato O’Ward, Felix Rosenqvist and Colton Herta to start earlier in Nashville (USA).

With the championship so close to the end, any mistake will be punished and that was suffered by two serious contenders for the title like Scott Dixon and Marcus Ericsson, who significantly reduced their aspirations.

To find the two drivers of Chip Ganassi Racing you have to go to the sixteenth and eighteenth positions on the grid, respectively.

Dixon also starred in one of the most spectacular images of the day when he lost control of his car and drove straight into some advertising posters, finally managing to straighten out and pass between two of the this ad.

PALOU HURRIES HIS OPTIONS

Palou, current IndyCar champion, saved the honor of the Chip Ganassi team and entered the ‘Fast Six’ regaining a good feeling after some irregular last races other than the podium achieved in Nashville.

He improved at the crucial moment because, in the morning practice sessions, the Catalan finished thirteenth, far from the favourites.

Off to the races, Palou he will leave with the aim of speeding up his options to retain a title as he is currently on 43 points away from power.

With his two teammates Ericsson and Dixon behind him on the grid, the Spanish driver will have to focus on overcoming the two direct rivals who will start in front of him: McLaughlin and Power.

The great attraction this Sunday is see how many drivers came up with mathematical choices to become champion at Laguna Seca.

In the case of Palou and McLaughlin, anything short of a win in Portland leaves them virtually (and perhaps mathematically) out of options.

Among the top four finishers, it will be interesting to see the recovery capacity offered by Dixon and Ericsson this Sunday, fourteen and seventeen points, respectively, behind a Power favorite to win its second title.

From eighth on the grid, Newgarden will be looking for a comeback and the sixth victory of the season (no one won more than him in 2022).

The final practices before the race were held on Saturday afternoon and there Palou set the fastest time for most of the session until, in the final minutes, he was overtaken by Alexander Rossi and Christian Lundgaard.