Scott Dixon finished second in the season-opening IndyCar race at St. Petersburg, costing himself a potential career victory due to a radio communication mishap. The six-time IndyCar champion was without radio contact from his team, Chip Ganassi Racing, for most of the race.
Dixon’s lack of communication led to a crucial mistake, pitting one lap too late and losing valuable seconds to teammate Alex Palou. “It was simple,” Ganassi said, emphasizing that Dixon would have won if everything had gone smoothly.
This is Dixon’s fifth runner-up finish at St. Pete in 21 starts and his eighth career podium. He has never reached the top spot despite having a strong car. “I’m pretty pissed off” about the result, Dixon admitted, feeling frustrated that they didn’t capitalize on their good race performance.
Ganassi expressed optimism about the team’s season ahead, noting that they had struggled at St. Pete in recent years but showed improvement this weekend. The 1-2 finish for Chip Ganassi Racing was a promising start to the year, and Palou now leads Dixon by 10 points entering the next event.
Source: https://www.espn.com/racing/indycar/story/_/id/44084218/scott-dixon-runs-indycar-opener-radio-communication