Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Bourdais back on track with Mid-Ohio test Monday

Bourdais IGP

Sebastien Bourdais made the Firestone Fast Six for the first time in 2017.

Karl Zemlin

Sebastien Bourdais has, on Monday, made his return to the cockpit of the No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing Honda at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, only 10 weeks after suffering pelvic and hip fractures in an accident in qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 on May 20.

In a medical evaluation test conducted after the Verizon IndyCar Series’ Honda Indy 200, Bourdais ran more than 80 laps today with no ill effects. INDYCAR will have to officially clear him to return to active competition, but today’s test will have been a good step before that confirmation.

“It’s just great to be back in the car, really, and to feel like nothing’s changed,” Bourdais said, via IndyCar.com.

Team owner Coyne told IndyCar.com Bourdais will be back for sure at Sonoma but is TBD for Watkins Glen depending on how current drivers Esteban Gutierrez and Ed Jones fare at the next two ovals.

Of note, Bourdais also told the Indianapolis Star‘s Jim Ayello the idea for Gutierrez to attempt to pass Josef Newgarden to try to get his lap back in Sunday’s race was Bourdais’ idea.

Gutierrez came under the microscope for his passing attempt, which wasn’t wrong to the letter of the rulebook, but may have inadvertently affected Will Power and Graham Rahal being able to make a run at Newgarden for the win on Sunday.

Follow @TonyDiZinno