IndyCar Driver Narrowly Escapes Disaster in Toronto Grand Prix Crash
Accident Pileup Involving Six Cars Brings Red Flag to the Track
Toronto, Canada – A dramatic and scary incident occurred during the Toronto Grand Prix, the last urban race of the American IndyCar season, with six cars involved in a multiple accident. The incident occurred on Lap 72 of the race, with 13 laps remaining.
The first car to lose control was Duck O’Ward, a Mexican driver from McLaren, who was running in sixth position. He lost control of his car at Turn 1 and hit the wall at low speed. However, the problem was that he was in an area that partially interfered with the route, and there were still many cars to reach that point, in a blind spot.
Some drivers, including Alex Palou, Newgarden, and Malukas, were able to save themselves, but Marcus Ericsson was the first to hit O’Ward’s car. Lundgaard, Veekay, Grosjean, and Rahal also escaped, but then Armageddon came.
Rosenqvist hit O’Ward’s front wing, followed by Santino Ferrucci, who came like a shot and took off directly above the cockpit of the Mexican driver, taking a good hit against the top of the wall and the fence. Finally, Nolan Siegel was the last to hit his teammate, displacing the McLaren car that started it all by several meters.
Initially, it seemed that Santino Ferrucci, who ended up face down, could be the worst off. However, as soon as the assistance teams returned the car to its natural position, the American driver was able to leave the car on his own. The red flag interrupted the race almost immediately.
O’Ward’s Onboard Footage Reveals Impact Hardness
When it seemed that the most spectacular part of the impact was over, onboard footage from O’Ward’s car revealed another aspect of the impact hardness that he received. The footage showed four violent blows, with some on the aileron and others directly in the monohull…and even in the aeroscreen, the head protection for the drivers.
O’Ward Complains About the Incident
Once the incident was resolved, O’Ward analyzed what happened with a little more calm. He wrote a message on social media, in which he showed a scratch on one of his legs and threw a criticism of the commissioners from the Canadian track.
"Grateful for the aeroscreen or else I wouldn’t be writing this right now. I feel sorry for my team and everyone involved through no fault of their own. As for the incident… maybe next time at least put a local yellow when a car is at the most dangerous point possible @IndyCar? It’s just a thought," wrote the Mexican driver, visibly upset with the situation.
