IndyCar Series driver Alexander Rossi of Ed Carpenter Racing. Image: Paul Hurley
During the Sonsio Grand Prix at the road course-configured Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Rossi’s car ground to a halt on Lap 21 with a hybrid-related issue.
The Ed Carpenter Racing driver was left sitting on the track for the best part of minute with the scene covered by a local yellow.
IndyCar commentators were left bemused, thinking that the full course caution had come out.
The broadcast seemed to reflect that as it displayed the full course caution graphic.
“Oh, it’s not a full caution, it’s just a local yellow,” said Will Buxton, having noticed drivers were still jockeying for position.
James Hinchcliffe theorised that IndyCar elected not to throw the caution to allow cars to complete their mandatory pit stops.
“This is IndyCar trying to leave the pits open long enough for everyone to get through on a pit cycle,” he explained.
“I’ve got to say, you’ve got a driver exiting the race car at the fastest point – cannot disagree with this enough. This is dangerous.
“He wants to get out of the race car. He’s on a hot race track.”
Townsend Bell labelled the incident “shocking” and sympathised with Rossi’s fury.
Alexander Rossi stalls on the front stretch. pic.twitter.com/4k1wpYAhx8
— INDYCAR on FOX (@IndyCarOnFOX) May 9, 2026
Rossi offered a terse assessment, firstly taking aim at the IndyCar hybrid system and then its officials for leaving him in harm’s way.
“Well, it’s pretty annoying to have failures on the car because of a product we didn’t ask for that doesn’t improve the racing. So that’s frustrating,” said Rossi.
“Second of all, the fact that it took that long to throw a full course yellow when the cars on the front straight were going by at 170 miles an hour also seems insane when they don’t let us drive in the wet yesterday. So, I don’t really know where the priorities lie. So, I’m pretty frustrated.”
McLaren’s Christian Lungdaard won the 85-lap race ahead of Team Penske’s David Malukas.
Results: IndyCar Series Sonsio Grand Prix, Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Pos
Num
Driver
Team
Laps/Diff
Gap
1
7
Christian Lundgaard
Arrow McLaren
85 laps
2
12
David Malukas
Team Penske
4.671
4.671
3
15
Graham Rahal
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
7.914
3.243
4
2
Josef Newgarden
Team Penske
10.029
2.115
5
10
Alex Palou
Chip Ganassi Racing
14.363
4.334
6
9
Scott Dixon
Chip Ganassi Racing
26.842
12.479
7
45
Louis Foster
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
28.127
1.285
8
19
Dennis Hauger
Dale Coyne Racing
31.933
3.806
9
27
Kyle Kirkwood
Andretti Global
34.194
2.261
10
6
Nolan Siegel
Arrow McLaren
38.844
4.65
11
66
Marcus Armstrong
Meyer Shank Racing
46.471
7.627
12
8
Kyffin Simpson
Chip Ganassi Racing
50.19
3.719
13
26
Will Power
Andretti Global
52.029
1.839
14
14
Santino Ferrucci
A.J. Foyt Enterprises
56.371
4.342
15
76
Rinus VeeKay
Juncos Racing
59.585
3.215
16
3
Scott McLaughlin
Team Penske
59.87
0.285
17
77
Sting Ray Robb
Juncos Racing
1:00.1665
0.296
18
5
Pato O’Ward
Arrow McLaren
1:06.2857
6.119
19
4
Caio Collet
A.J. Foyt Enterprises
1:07.6701
1.384
20
47
Mick Schumacher
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
1:14.1292
6.459
21
18
Romain Grosjean
Dale Coyne Racing
1 lap
1 lap
DNF
28
Marcus Ericsson
Andretti Global
Lap 61
23 laps
DNF
60
Felix Rosenqvist
Meyer Shank Racing
Lap 28
33 laps
DNF
21
Christian Rasmussen
Ed Carpenter Racing
Lap 28
40:57.6335
DNF
20
Alexander Rossi
Ed Carpenter Racing
Lap 20
8 laps
