Reigning champion Energy completed simply 0.7s behind Newgarden following a late-race yellow flag that led to a three-lap dash to the top of the race.
However Energy thinks he might’ve moved forward of his team-mate after the ultimate pitstops if he wasn’t delayed leaving his pitbox by Marcus Ericsson, who was pitting forward of him simply as he was prepared to go away.
When requested if he had a automotive able to difficult Newgarden for the win, Energy replied: “Yeah, I actually did. I used to be proper inside [striking range in] that final stint going into the pitstop, and I needed to look forward to Ericsson to pit, or it was going to be fascinating.
“I clearly take a look at it very intently. I felt like we lastly had it as soon as we made these changes to run with Josef. We got here into pits with him, however I needed to look forward to Ericsson. It was simply unhealthy timing on our half to not pit a few laps early.
“I used to be watching my mirror as a result of I noticed [Ericsson’s team] arrange, and I knew that he could be coming, so I sat there watching. There was confusion on the radio however I used to be, like, not going to have one in all these [unsafe release scenarios].
“It sucks since you simply watched virtually three or 4 seconds tick by. A bit of time. I got here within the pits proper on Josef. Once we got here out, I might hardly see him.”
Will Energy, Staff Penske Chevrolet, leads team-mate Josef Newgarden
Photograph by: Phillip Abbott / Motorsport Images
Energy believed he had the proper steadiness to battle for victory after a mid-race entrance wing change that reworked his automotive’s dealing with.
He’d earlier led for 30 laps from pole, however Newgarden handed him with ease when he slipped up the observe in Flip 2.
“It is nuts how the adjustment of the entrance wing reworked the automotive from simply horrible to extraordinarily good,” he stated. “My automotive was very, very robust middle-to-end of stint. And I had an awesome restart [from the first caution] – went from, I believe, sixth to 3rd after which simply hung again and saved tires, and went once more and received to second [after the final restart].
“That is the primary time I truly thought, yeah, I might most likely problem this man. Just a little bit final yr, yeah, and as we speak. However not yesterday.”
Energy thinks pitting earlier wouldn’t solely have averted the Ericsson pitbox scenario, however he might even have used the highly effective undercut to problem Newgarden.
“Yeah, that is the gamble,” he shrugged. “I simply thought we had been ready to take a giant threat and pit approach early as a result of we’re probably not within the championship. Simply go for a win.
“However I am not on the stand, so I do not know the scenario. I do not assume anybody had pitted at that time, however that might have given us clear out and in and the undercut. Clearly dangers with that, however not a lot. Right here you might have a two-lap window to make a yellow.
“Now he has received each single oval that he has completed in a very long time.”
