The Five Worst IndyCar Collapses Since 2006
By Asher Fair
No. 4: Takuma Sato, Sao Paulo, 2013
When you block a driver trying to pass you twice late in the race and don’t get penalized for it, you should easily win the race.
However, that was not the case for Takuma Sato. After blocking James Hinchcliffe twice coming down the back straightaway late in the race, Race Control announced that no penalty would be assessed to Sato.
With one lap to go, Sato did the same exact thing with one turn to go. As Hinchcliffe moved to the inside, so did Sato, cutting him off yet again. Hinchcliffe had to settle for the outside lane heading into the final turn of the race.
But Sato’s luck ran out, and it had nothing to do with Race Control’s decision. It had to do with sliding outside coming off of the final turn of the race and ultimately allowing Hinchcliffe to end up on the inside line anyway. Hinchcliffe passed Sato because of it and won the race.
Well played, Hinch.