The first weekend of June saw the Formula racing contingent go on a break post a double-header. However, all eyes were on the USA’s motorsport scene with NASCAR and IndyCar hosting races in Illinois and Detroit, respectively. MotoGP went racing in Italy which witnessed Francesco Bagnaia of Ducati claim a third consecutive home win in Mugello.
MotoGP: Bagnaia claims a hat-trick of home wins, Ducati get 1-2 finish
Francesco Bagnaia proved to be unstoppable at home yet again after driving to a third consecutive win at the Italian MotoGP. Despite finishing second in Saturday’s qualifying at the Mugello circuit, he was pushed to the second row in fifth after picking up a grid penalty.
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But the Italian wasted no time and found himself leading by the second corner of Lap 1, overtaking pole-sitter Jorge Martin with ease. The two-time world champion was joined by his Ducati teammate Enea Bastianini who fought till the end to come second.
Bastianini moved past Marc Marquez to ensure a podium spot but didn’t back down as he overtook Martin in the last lap to give Ducati a 1-2 finish.
IndyCar: A chaotic Detroit race sees Dixon’s gamble with strategy and fuel pay off
Scott Dixon would have never expected to cross the finish line, let alone win, in a chaotic, dry-wet-dry race at the temporary street circuit in Detroit. The track, redone to ensure a much more entertaining race, produced exactly that as it was a crash-fest.
The first of eight Cautions came in the first lap after a six-car pileup in turn 3. The hairpin at the end of the back-straight saw many incidents and contact with the barrier throughout the 100-lap race.
If multiple restarts weren’t enough in the 53 laps of actual racing, rain came into play, forcing some teams to make the decision to change tires or stay out. Dixon, with the smart call to rely on his Chip Ganassi Racing car’s mileage, chose to stay out and secured the 58th win of his IndyCar career.
NASCAR: Cindric’s stars align as he claims surprising victory at Illinois
Austin Cindric took the chequered flag in a surprising turn of events at the Illinois 300 after his Penske teammate Ryan Blaney had a heartbreaking end to his otherwise spectacular race.
Blaney was leading at the front until the penultimate lap when his car ran out of fuel, causing him to tumble down the order and take a painful 24th-place finish. He handed the lead to Cindric who charged past to win his first race since 2022.
It was a tough call by the Penske team - all three drivers pitted thrice as compared to a minimum of four by other competitors. The strategy worked Cindric’s way while Blaney was dealt a bad hand.
Formula 1: Ocon to leave Alpine at end of season
As F1 had a week off from racing, heading to Canada in a week, activity continued to take place off the track. Alpine’s Esteban Ocon will be leaving the team at the end of the 2024 season.
This marks the end of a five-year partnership with the Enstone-based side. Alpine and Ocon recorded their first Grand Prix victory at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix and claimed two further podiums.
The Frenchman, who was involved in a collision with his teammate Pierre Gasly in Monaco, found himself amidst rumours of being benched ahead of next week’s Canadian Grand Prix. However, he confirmed that he will start the race and face a five-place grid penalty.
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