photo: Indycar.com /Joe Skibinski
Amidst an up and down day, Christian Lundgaard put together the best effort for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing on the season so far at the Grand Prix of Alabama, starting sixth and finishing sixth at Barber Motorsports Park. Reflecting on the result, Lundgaard felt it could have gone even better.
“I think we had a very good start. And then it went a little downhill after that. But the 45 Hyvee Honda crew did an amazing job today. I think all the stops were probably the best we’ve had all season. So that’s good. We’ve got to take the positives from this weekend.”
Those positives included running as high as fourth after a bold move on Alex Palou after the restart on lap 43. He also made an overtake of the year contender on another CGR car of Scott Dixon eleven laps earlier.
“You know, these were the kind of moves that we had to get done today. And I knew I had to be aggressive. My dad told me, think about driving. Think about what you enjoyed growing up. And that was race hard. So I did that today.”
With Lundgaard, RLL, and the rest of the paddock now looking forward to May at Indianapolis, the Dane is looking to keep the momentum with the GMR Grand Prix approaching on May 13. He’s run three times on the Speedway road course: his first race, his first top ten, and his first podium. It remains to be seen if this progression continues, but it would be a fitting first win for someone who’s taken rather quickly to IndyCar.
It would also bolster a Rahal Letterman Lanigan team that hasn’t had a podium since Lundgaard’s second place at the Harvest Grand Prix, and hasn’t won since Takuma Sato won the 2020 Indianapolis 500. Lundgaard and RLL are certainly hoping for the speedway’s good fortune to return for them.
“I live in Indy. So for me, I’m excited to get to race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It’s always special.”
