Five takeaways: Indy Toronto

Written by Evan Roberts, Edited by Morgan Holiday

Credit: Julia Bissessar

For a second straight year, Toronto delivered an action-packed thriller, full of chaos, cautions and high drama as the cars roared through the chasms of the streets in the 6IX. Pato O’Ward emerged victorious, taking the checkered flag for his second win in three races and closing the gap to championship leader Álex Palou.

The remaining podium places were occupied by Rinus VeeKay and Kyffin Simpson. The former achieved his first podium with Honda power, the latter managed his first series podium in his sophomore year.

DIVEBOMB goes through five takeaways from IndyCar’s weekend at Toronto.

1. Abel Appears Out of His Depth

Credit: Julia Bissessar

While a driver may be doing their hardest to extract everything from the machinery underneath them, it’s often not quite enough in an industry as ruthless as motorsport.

Jacob Abel has been a prime example of this throughout his rookie season. While his junior career showed signs of promise, that potential has yet to be unlocked during his time with Dale Coyne Racing in IndyCar.

Coming off a career-best result last week in Iowa—finishing ahead of teammate Rinus VeeKay on merit for the first time this season—there was hope that momentum would continue into Toronto. Instead, we witnessed one of Abel’s worst performances all year.

Starting from last, Abel languished toward the back of the field in the early stages. Cautions later moved him up the order as other drivers made their opening pit stops.

Once the green flag waved again, things didn’t improve. His lack of pace could partly be attributed to tyre grip—or the lack thereof. Even so, Abel had opted for the harder primary tyres, which had shown to be more durable than the alternate compounds used by many around him who also stayed out.

He made no progress on those tyres, continuing to fall through the field. After another extended caution period, Abel’s race came to a sudden end. Heading into Turn 1, having just been overtaken by David Malukas, fellow rookie Louis Foster in the Rahal Letterman Lanigan car spotted a gap on the inside. With Foster already well alongside, Abel made the critical error of turning in too soon, making contact with Foster’s sidepod. The impact spat Abel's car into the wall.

The mistake had consequences. Abel collected four more cars in the process, some of which sustained damage significant enough to end their races. The biggest casualty was Josef Newgarden, who—through no fault of his own—slammed into the back of Abel’s stationary car with such force that it lifted the Dale Coyne machine onto the top of the Penske. Both cars had to be recovered by the IndyCar safety team.

With a number of incredible talents waiting within the wings of IndyCar’s junior ladder, Abel will need to step his game up in the remaining rounds to solidify his place on the grid next year. 

2. A Return to Form for Herta

   

   Credit: Julia Bissessar

Returning one year on from a famous weekend sweep on the streets of Toronto, Andretti Global’s Colton Herta was in desperate need of a positive result to lift what has been a woeful season by his standards.

Although fourth place ended his run of podiums in Toronto, it was a solid weekend from which he can take plenty of encouragement.

First, Saturday’s pole position—his second of the season—put him on the front foot heading into the race. Unfortunately for Herta, typical Toronto chaos struck early. Having started on the alternate tyres, an early caution gave him the chance to switch compounds—a chance he took.

But when he re-emerged from pit lane, he was met with the unwelcome news that several cars who had pitted a lap earlier had jumped him, taking away his lead through no fault of his own.

To make matters worse, it was teammate Marcus Ericsson who he found himself stuck behind for much of the race. With both cars on the same tyre strategy, and passing difficult on Toronto’s tight layout, a move was never realistically on.

Nonetheless, Herta made decisive and aggressive moves through the mid-stages to climb the order, finding himself in sixth coming into the final round of stops.

While many around him pitted, Herta stayed out, his tyres and fuel still delivering strong performance. So strong, in fact, that on Lap 66 he set the fastest lap of the race—proof he was the outright fastest driver all weekend.

Though the win went to O’Ward, and the remaining podium spots to VeeKay and Simpson, Herta came charging home in fourth—easily overcutting Ericsson, who had been holding him back all race.

Coming off a nightmare in Iowa, this result should be a major morale boost for Herta and Andretti Global. With five races to go and top-five spots in the standings still up for grabs, don’t be surprised to see Herta chasing his first win of the season soon.

3. Could O’Ward Mount a Late Championship Challenge?

   

   Credit: Julia Bissessar

What a drive from O’Ward! On a track that hasn’t typically delivered great results for the Mexican, he put on a show for the adoring fans, taking a commanding win.

Qualifying seemed to suggest more of the same misfortune, as he lined up tenth—far from ideal.

What followed was a move that, in hindsight, looked like genius (with a bit of luck). Stopping one lap before the first caution vaulted him ahead of those who pitted under yellow, effectively handing him the lead once those ahead made their stops.

That didn’t mean the win was secured—far from it. He was still mired in the pack, with many choosing not to pit.

One of those was Palou, who was on the harder primary tyre. As the laps wore on and the gap closed rapidly, it became clear that O’Ward had to pounce—and he did. He cut through drivers on fading rubber like a hot knife through butter.

That killer instinct proved decisive, earning him his second win in three races. Even after further cautions, O’Ward remained composed, ultimately overcutting VeeKay to take victory.

With Palou only managing 12th, O’Ward cut the championship gap to 99 points. Still a tall order—but not impossible. With over 250 points still available and five races to go, O’Ward will be hoping to heap pressure on the reigning three-time champion and continue his fantastic run.

4. Toronto’s Bumps Provide a Unique Challenge

   

   Credit: Julia Bissessar

This weekend had it all: rain, roadblocks, rough surfaces—you name it. The only race north of the border challenged all 27 drivers with its ever-changing conditions.

The biggest talking point was the bumps. The surface proved treacherous, catching out even seasoned veterans across the first two days.

Turn 3 was the most problematic. A large bump in the braking zone raised safety concerns, especially given the speeds involved. Turn 9 also saw its fair share of drama, with many opting to use the escape road to avoid a fate similar to last year’s carnage.

The result? Six cautions, one DNS, eight DNFs and chaos throughout the field. Once again, Toronto demonstrated IndyCar’s reliance on cautions to produce entertaining racing.

Toronto consistently delivers some of the highest caution numbers all year. While the tight layout makes overtaking a challenge, it also produces unpredictable and action-packed races. It's IndyCar’s answer to Monaco—if Monaco were actually exciting.

5. PREMA Racing Are on the Up

   

   Credit: Julia Bissessar

What a few weeks it’s been for PREMA Racing. A season-best ninth place in Iowa for Robert Shwartzman was bettered this weekend by teammate Callum Ilott, who finished eighth after dodging the chaos.

As expected, the Italian outfit faced teething problems early in their debut season. Mechanical issues reduced track time, stalling car development.

But those gremlins have faded, and progress has followed. Despite flashes of raw pace—such as pole at the 2025 Indianapolis 500—inconsistency has hampered results.

Now, with more practice time and a better handle on setups, qualifying performances are improving. Ilott has become a regular in the mix to advance from the group stages, achieving it at both Road America and Toronto.

Given their pedigree in Europe and with two talented drivers, PREMA Racing are no joke. Don’t be surprised to see them contending for top-five finishes—or even a podium—before the season ends.