Entering the first off-week in more than two months, Sebastien Bourdais is sixth in the Verizon IndyCar driver standings after earning his third top-five finish of the season.
Bourdais came home fifth in the Honda Indy Toronto on Sunday, following up his victory in Detroit race two, the most recent street-course race.
The outcome came down to pit strategy and tire selection in race that started in the rain, but finished dry.
“We could have stretched it but (Carlos) Munoz just made it very difficult for us,” Bourdais said. “We destroyed the tires behind him, both (Will) Power and I, and we finished, you know, behind each other.”
After his win in Detroit, the Frenchman could have been a favorite to contend in Toronto, where Bourdais earned his first IndyCar win last year since returning to the series in 2011.
“Obviously the guys who were in clean air who stayed out there who ran some quick laps on their own and it was the right thing to do, except obviously, if there had been a yellow like on the first sequence, then you cycle to black (primary tires) and the race is over,” Bourdais said. “It was a defense strategy. It was the right thing to do. We probably should have done it on the first one as well, not to expose ourselves but, hey, that’s the problem with yellows and closed pits. Sometimes you’re right, sometimes you’re wrong.”
Through 10 races so far in 2015, Bourdais has an average finish of 9th. His first top-five finish of the year came in the Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis. His only DNF after 10 races came in race two in the Indy Grand Prix of Louisiana.
