Takuma Sato reflects on pit road mistake and admits he "messed up" at the Indy 500
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing driver Takuma Sato recently opened up about his pit road mistake, which cost him too much time. He had a decent weekend at the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 held on May 25.
The two-time champion had a strong start at the Oval, leading 51 out of the first 86 laps of the race, but while pitting on Lap 87 of the 200 lap race, he made a mistake that cost him a lot of time. The Japanese driver slid too far from his pit box, losing more time than the team had anticipated. He initially fell to 17th place but managed to finish the race in 11th place.
Post the race, while in conversation with the media, Sato spoke about the same. He admitted his mistake that cost him and the team a higher finish. He said,
"Pretty much down to me. My mistake. I simply couldn't stop in the box. Obviously everybody struggled on the colder tires that only one excuse everyone in the same condition has. No I messed up that's it. I think the 75 crew did an amazing job, unbelievable meticulous work from the team and I couldn't put the result down together. It's really really a pity." (0:05 onwards)
This entry marks Takuma Sato's 16th entry at the Indianapolis 500 and his seventh season with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing team. The two-time Indy 500 champion had qualified in second place; however, this pit stop mistake cost him a lot of places.
As of now, it is quite uncertain if Takuma Sato will return for the next Indy 500. However, he and the RLL team will be reflecting on this incident.
Takuma Sato shines light on the 'Game-Changing' hybrid system
The former Indy 500 winner, Takuma Sato, recently opened up about his experience driving the car with the hybrid system. The Japanese driver drove the car with the system for the first time at the open testing held between April 23-24. The hybrid system was introduced last season at Mid-Ohio in July, and this marks its first full season.
The Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing driver highlighted the pros and cons of the system, and he detailed how the added 100 pounds makes the car a little challenging to drive. He said (Via IndyCar on YouTube),
"What I like is the hybrid. It's quite fun, actually. Regen and deploy is a totally new experience.” (1:47 onwards)
“You can feel the power. You can feel what's happening and that's good. The downside is obviously weight. You know, everybody's saying that it's more than 100 lbs on the back of the car... Just when you get the sensation of getting to the corner, the back of the car, it's just to keep rotating, which it's not a positive way for me. So we need to work onto the car.”
“It's definitely a game changer for that because the setup we been having competitive one is not entirely sure that 100% apply."
As of now, Takuma Sato participates in the Indy 500 as a part-time driver.