IndyCar season-opener
Live Text
Sort by
Autosport
If you missed the big news from today, the race was missing Montoya's Penske team-mate Will Power. He has now been diagnosed with a mild concussion. Servia finished 18th in his car, having been delayed in that mid-race melee: 
Twitter
Twitter
Twitter
Montoya reveals he had problems with his steering wheel in the closing stages. Far from ideal, but he seems pretty relaxed about it. As you would be, having made it across the line.
Any excuse for an old-school Zanardi CART pic from 1998, the year before Montoya took over that Ganassi ride. Pic: LAT
Twitter
Twitter
Of the rookies, Rossi was 12th, Daly 13th, Pigot 14th and Chilton 17th.
Sato was sixth, ahead of Dixon, Munoz, Kanaan and Kimball, who completed the top 10.
Kimball appears to have dropped from eighth to 10th on the final lap, then stopped with his rear wing against the wall at Turn 1.
Pagenaud finishes second, 2.3s behind Montoya and still searching for his first Penske win. Hunter-Reay takes third, while Castroneves held on for fourth, ahead of Aleshin.
Checkered flag
Juan Pablo Montoya starts the 2016 IndyCar season with a St Petersburg victory.
Final lap for Montoya.
Now Aleshin is right behind Pagenaud. The Russian wants fourth. Aleshin has an IndyCar podium to his name, at Detroit in 2014.
Two laps to go for Montoya, who is now back to more than four seconds clear of team-mate Pagenaud.
Hunter-Reay fires his Andretti entry down the inside of Castroneves' Penske. He's now third, with three laps to go, and Penske's hopes of a podium sweep appear over.
Rossi goes a long way offline to let Pagenaud past. Very noble. But it does let Daly close the gap.
Hawksworth forces his way past Rossi at Turn 1, as Pagenaud prepares to lap the group.
Montoya is cleanly through. Pagenaud did close the gap to two seconds, but now has to navigate that traffic.
Race leader Montoya is moving his way through the Rossi-Hawksworth pack. Pagenaud is a couple of cars back, with five laps to go.
Kanaan has muscled his way into the top 10, moving past Rossi. The American debutant now has to defend from Hawksworth, while Daly is closing on the pair.
Here's a look at that updated Honda aero kit. Pic: LAT
Information
On Honda's progress, Hunter-Reay was its top driver in this race last year. He finished seventh, 27.7s behind Montoya. As it stands here, he is fourth, 12.5s behind.
Dixon has moved up to eighth, with a move on Munoz.
Twitter
Twitter
With 10 laps to go, Montoya is cruising, 4.2s clear of Pagenaud. Castroneves has rebuilt that lead over Hunter-Reay by a second.
As it stands, Aleshin would be the biggest mover of the race. He started 17th, and has picked up 12 places to be fifth.
Behind Hunter-Reay in fourth, the rest of the top 10 is: Aleshin, Sato, Kimball, Munoz, Dixon and Rossi.
Can Hunter-Reay break that all-Penske top three, and get a Honda car onto the podium? He is now just 0.7s behind Castroneves. That's the closest fight in the top 10, with 14 laps to go.
If you are following the progress of the F1 refugees, Rossi is 10th, Chilton 15th after that pitstop.
Castroneves holds the most number of wins around the St Petersburg streets - he has claimed three victories in 2006, 2007 and 2012. the Brazilian is running third of an all Team Penske top-three.
Twitter
Twitter
There are 18 laps remaining and here are the top 10: 1 - Montoya, 2 - Pagenaud, 3 - Castroneves, 4 - Hunter-Reay, 5 - Aleshin, 6 - Sato, 7 - Kimball, 8 - Munoz, 9 - Dixon, 10 - Rossi.
Montoya is 20 laps away from back-to-back St Petersburg victories, having won here last year. Pic: LAT
Montoya has extended his lead to 2.5s over Pagenaud.
Hunter-Reay is the highest running Honda in fourth, he is 11.3s off Montoya's lead.
By: Matt Beer
Published:
Lap:
