Scott Dixon took a while to get the win 52, but it came, and the New Zealander can still dream of catching Marcus Ericsson in the Indy title race
It took 22 races and 14 months of waiting, but victory 52 for Scott Dixon came. The six-time New Zealander finally put an end to a drought that had haunted him since the 2021 Texas GP and managed to tie with Mario Andretti in the list of greatest winners in Indy history. About to turn 42 years old, it's no time to be discouraged by another tie: that of category titles with A.J. Foyt.
Dixon is a gigantic driver in Indy history, and that's a fact. However, the feeling the six-time champion was going through is that his best days were behind him. In 2020, he started the championship very strong, and he relied on that alone to cook up that sixth title. In 2021, things did not go as expected, and he ended up winning fewer races than both Álex Palou and Marcus Ericsson. Despite several podiums that season, no aspirations that he could fight for the title.
And 2022 is not necessarily the year Scott has been shining. Before Toronto, he had only been on the podium in Detroit, and he also suffered a rather traumatic defeat in the Indy 500, a race in which he was on pole, led the most laps, and ended up 21st because of a mistake.
However, Dixon's year is quite regular. Even without brilliance, he was top-10 in every race in 2022, except the Indy 500. In Toronto, he had an excellent grid position, the kind that is perfect for timely pitstops that create wins, and that's exactly what happened at Exhibition Place. A great first stop, better pace than Herta on cold tires, and an overtake that yielded an almost smooth victory.
"We actually had difficulties with the rear tires. We made some adjustments this morning thinking about the different circuits we've been through this year that we've had understeer problems, but that wasn't the case today. It was a tough race, but I was able to end a bad streak," Scott celebrated.
It was a much-needed victory for Scott, who was able to put an end to the drought for good, and at the same time a great victory for Ganassi in the hands of the greatest driver in its history. After a very troubled week due to the imbroglio with Álex Palou, who was seen as the team's future, to have a trophy coming from the hands of the legend is absurdly satisfying.
With the result, the six-time champion left Pato O'Ward behind in the standings, and with seven races to go, it's not too late for the New Zealander to cash in on the 44 points that separate him from Marcus Ericsson. A win in Toronto could be a motivation boost that makes Dixon a key character in this championship.