De Ferran settles for podium finish

Penske Racing's De Ferran dominated the opening half of the race, with only team mate Helio Castroneves and PacWest's Scott Dixon able to match his searing pace. But caution periods conspired against him, restricting the Brazilian to a third placed finish behind Max Papis and Memo Gidley.

"I thought Roger Penske's strategy was perfect," said de Ferran. "But you can't predict the yellows. It's like the rain in qualifying at Cleveland. It's like a lottery, and you do the best you can under the circumstances. You can't take anything away from Max and Memo because they drove great races and deserve to be up here."

De Ferran said he didn't force the issue at the end of the race because he knew his closest championship rival Kenny Brack had already dropped out, having been delayed by a first-corner collision with Mauricio Gugelmin.

"Until the last 10 laps, I was trying to win the race," added de Ferran. "But after that, I drove for the championship. You have to analyse the situation as it comes to you, and there was too much risk."

He now holds a 26-point lead over Brack with 44 on offer in the final two races of the season, at Surfers' Paradise and Fontana.