Indy 500 Qualifying: Takuma Sato's run disallowed, Andretti experiencing engine woes

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UPDATE: Following review by race stewards, Takuma Sato's initial speed of 232.196 mph during Indianapolis 500 qualifying was disallowed for impeding Marco Andretti's qualifying lap.

Despite hitting the wall on his second attempt, Sato -- who would have been 10th had his first run remained -- qualified 12th and will compete for the pole on Sunday.

"It felt OK (after clipping the wall)," Sato said on the Peacock broadcast. "It's qualifying. You just keep going."

After qualifying had been called early due to weather, Sato commented on the incident with Andretti during the press conference. Sato said that he was fine with the penalty given to him, noting that the incident shouldn't have happened.

"First of all I didn't have any idea. I had no information about that," Sato said when asked about not leaving the track for his cool down lap. "With the closing (rate) I knew that I better not move (from the middle of the track)."

Sato also elaborated on why he continued his qualifying lap after brushing the wall.

"After I hit the wall, or brushed the wall shall we say, if the car starts to wiggle that means your drivetrain has been damaged," said Sato. "I also looked at the tire pressure and if there's any indication of weakness in the tire pressure then you should abort (the lap)."

He stated that neither of those problems arose after the contact, which gave him the green light to continue the qualifying run.

Andretti, understandably, was upset that Sato remained on the track after his four qualifying laps.

“To start the lap, I’m on the brakes because Sato is just stopped in the middle of (Turn) 3,” Andretti said on the Peacock broadcast. “So, to start a (qualifying) run on the brakes, I don’t think is very fair and it should never happen.

“If they count that as my run, I’m pretty bummed because of the start of that."

Andretti waived his initial run, which had him 30th at 226.108 mph, and moved up to a still disappointing 23rd at 230.345 mph.

Colton Herta's second attempt, with a new engine, had him at a disappointing 25th.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Two Andretti Autosport drivers encountered engine woes during their initial Indianapolis 500 qualifying attempts. Marco Andretti ran the slowest four-lap average with an ailing engine. Five cars later, teammate Colton Herta's engine shut off as he began his qualifying run at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Marco's qualifying run also had a bizarre start. Coming to the green flag on his warm-up lap, Takuma Sato was still on the race track as Andretti came through turn 3. Andretti claimed he had to hit the brakes to avoid Sato. As a result, Marco's first lap was 230 mph, almost 2 full miles an hour slower than teammate Romain Grosjean's first lap.

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As if a slower than expected first lap wasn't frustrating enough, Andretti's engine began to struggle on his second lap. Andretti's team radioed him to complete the run, but he was only able to muster a 4-lap average of 226.108 mph, one of the slowest qualifying runs of the session.

Visibly frustrated, Andretti stated his run was a "nightmare" to NBC Sports and felt he should receive a second chance due to Sato.

Andretti Autosport with Curb-Agajanian driver Colton Herta (26) rounds the first turn during morning practice before the first session of qualifying 106th running of the Indianapolis 500 on Saturday, May 21, 2022, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, in Indianapolis.
Andretti Autosport with Curb-Agajanian driver Colton Herta (26) rounds the first turn during morning practice before the first session of qualifying 106th running of the Indianapolis 500 on Saturday, May 21, 2022, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, in Indianapolis.

Colton Herta was the next Andretti Autosport car to qualify after Marco's attempt. Coming off a win at last week's GMR Grand Prix on the road course, Herta was expected to perform well. However, as he was beginning his qualifying run, the engine began to sputter before it finally shut off.

"I think we might've lost a cylinder there," said Herta to NBC Sports after his run. "I hope it rains before the 33rd person runs and they shift (qualifying) to (Sunday)."

Herta later sent out a tweet stating that the team was preparing for an engine change and that he hoped to be able to make a run later in the afternoon.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indy 500 Qualifying: Sato's run disallowed, Andretti with engine woes