Blomqvist, who began 25th, was rolling into Flip 1 when he drifted the No. 66 Meyer Shank Racing Honda underneath the white line and touched the curbing, which induced the backend of his automotive to snap round and kickstart a melee.
Marcus Ericsson, the 2022 Indy 500 champion and final 12 months’s runner-up, began 32nd in a backup automotive and bought off to a stable begin and was working a lane up in coming into Flip 1 when his No. 28 Andretti World Honda collided with the spinning machine of Blomqvist.
Each vehicles ended up coming to a cease within the shortchute between Turns 1 and a pair of.
In response to the incident, the No. 30 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda of Pietro Fittipaldi tried to keep away from however made wheel-to-wheel contact with Callum Ilott, who was pressured to begin from the rear of the sector after a mechanical difficulty wanted to be addressed to his No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet throughout the tempo laps.
“I am unable to consider it,” mentioned Ericsson after being launched from the infield care heart.. “It is unbelievable. It is so irritating. I do not know what to say. We needed to work so onerous. The crew did such an excellent job rebuilding that automotive. We fought all final weekend. We fought all week and this occurs. I am unable to consider it.”
Ilott was in a position to proceed on, however Blomqvist, Ericsson and Fittpaldi had been left with an early retirement.
