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MARKHAM, August 16, 2026 —Andretti Global’s Marcus Ericsson wasn’t to be denied victory in the inaugural Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham on Sunday, even if it meant tormenting a longtime rival.
Ericsson charged through the field during the closing stages of the 90-lap Canadian race, hunting down Dale Coyne Racing’s Romain Grosjean before passing him to claim victory on the new 12-turn, 2.1-mile street circuit.
The win was Ericsson’s fifth career NTT INDYCAR SERIES victory, while Grosjean was forced to settle for second once again. It was the sixth time Grosjean has finished second in an IndyCar race while still searching for his first victory in the series.
Coincidentally, Grosjean’s last victory in any series came in a GP2 race in Hungary in 2011. Ericsson finished fifth in that race.
Ericsson Ends Long Victory Drought
Ericsson’s Markham victory came just 10 days after he was confirmed to return to Andretti Global for a fourth season. More importantly, it ended a 63-race winless streak dating back to his victory in the 2023 season opener in St. Petersburg.
“It’s been long enough,” Ericsson said. “It doesn’t come as much of a surprise. We’ve had such a good year. We’ve been working every weekend, getting stronger and stronger, qualifying up front every weekend. We might not have got the results we deserved every weekend, but I really felt we deserved (this).”
Ericsson’s voice cracked during his post-race interview, which he attributed to screaming too much after taking the checkered flag. He said the victory came through a bold and aggressive drive during the challenging street-course race.
“We were the fastest car all day, I thought,” he said. “Obviously, there were a lot of (cautions), so we had to stay out (longer on the final sequence). I wanted to show the pace and open a gap, so we gambled on staying out.”
That strategy paid off. After emerging from the pits on Lap 69 in seventh place, Ericsson quickly began working his way through the leaders.
“I had the pace and we were lapping so quick,” he said. “It was a lot of work to get through the leaders.”
Hard Racing With Teammate Will Power
Ericsson’s charge included contact with Andretti Global teammate Will Power in the Turn 5 hairpin while battling for third place.
Ericsson described the hard bump as “unfortunate,” but Power said he understood the situation.
“You never want that, but I had to get through,” Ericsson said. “I knew I could win this race.”
The victory was another reminder of Ericsson’s ability to thrive on challenging street circuits. In 2021, he won the trouble-filled inaugural race on the streets of Nashville, a race that famously included his car becoming airborne vertically.
The 2022 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge winner now has four career street-course victories.
Grosjean Takes Second
Grosjean led 28 laps and held the advantage for much of the race before Ericsson’s late charge denied him his first IndyCar victory.
The second-place finish was Grosjean’s best result since he finished runner-up at Barber Motorsports Park in 2023. It was also his first top-five finish of the 2026 season.
“We did everything we could,” Grosjean said. “I wanted to (keep Palou in second place) – I knew (with that gap) it was safe. But then (Ericsson) came … unfortunately that (wasn’t our) day. But on to the next one.”
Will Power completed the podium in third, followed by series points leader Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing in fourth and Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward in fifth.
Louis Foster’s Strong Race Ends in Heavy Crash
Several drivers were left wondering what might have been after a race filled with cautions, contact and dramatic swings in position.
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Louis Foster had perhaps the most frustrating ending. Starting from pole for the second time in his career, Foster quickly established himself at the front and built a lead of nearly three seconds while leading the opening 32 laps.
His advantage disappeared when a caution came out after the other frontrunners had already made their pit stops. Foster was shuffled back to 12th place.
The rookie refused to give up and began charging through the field again. He had climbed eight positions and was stalking Ericsson for third place when the pair approached Turn 3 on Lap 43.
Foster went to the inside but clipped the left-side wall. The contact sent his car directly into the concrete barrier on the right in a virtually head-on impact.
It was a major crash, but Foster escaped injury.
Kyle Kirkwood Also Crashes at Turn 3
Turn 3 claimed another Andretti Global driver in a similarly heavy impact.
Kyle Kirkwood was running third behind his two teammates when he suffered a fierce crash at the same section of the circuit.
His 21st-place finish proved costly in the championship battle, allowing Palou to extend his advantage in his pursuit of a fourth consecutive championship and fifth title in six years.
Palou had started outside the top 10 for the first time in 30 races, nearly two full seasons, but still managed to leave Markham with an even stronger points position.
With four races remaining, Palou leads Kirkwood by 133 points. Team Penske’s David Malukas sits third, 137 points behind Palou.
Malukas finished the Markham race a lap down in 17th place.
New Markham Street Circuit Delivers Plenty of Action
The new 12-turn, 2.1-mile street circuit appeared to strike a strong balance between racing action and the kind of unpredictability expected from a temporary street course.
The race produced 258 on-track passes, including 242 for position. Both figures are the highest on record for the event, which dates back to 1986 when the INDYCAR SERIES first raced on the Streets of Toronto.
As expected, the Turn 5 hairpin quickly became one of the busiest areas of the circuit, with several drivers making contact while attempting overtakes.
One of the more significant incidents involved Dale Coyne Racing rookie Dennis Hauger, who made contact with Ed Carpenter Racing’s Christian Rasmussen before also bumping Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward.
The incident occurred on Lap 20 and was part of a difficult stretch for Hauger.
Hauger Falls Through the Field
The reigning INDY NXT by Firestone champion started the race fifth and was still holding that position when his rapid slide began.
Palou was the first to pass him, followed by Malukas. Within a short span, Hauger had fallen all the way to 20th.
His struggles continued later in the race when he clipped the rear tyre of Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon. Dixon then made contact with Rasmussen, bringing out another caution.
Another Turn 5 incident involved Arrow McLaren’s Nolan Siegel, who went too deep into the braking zone and struck Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden. Siegel was subsequently penalized for avoidable contact.
Difficult Day for IndyCar Rookies
It was a particularly challenging day for several first-year drivers.
AJ Foyt Racing’s Caio Collet made contact with Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb Agajanian’s Felix Rosenqvist on the opening lap.
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Mick Schumacher brought out the race’s first caution on Lap 15 after hitting the Turn 4 wall.
The crashes and incidents underscored the difficulty of the new Markham street circuit, where narrow sections and heavy braking zones left little room for error.
IndyCar Heads to Washington, D.C.
There will be little time for the series to catch its breath, with the championship heading to the U.S. capital next weekend for the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C.
The 25 car-and-driver combinations are expected to compete in the penultimate stretch of the 2026 season.
The pre-race show on FOX begins at 11:30 a.m. ET, with the race scheduled to follow shortly after 1 p.m.
contributed by IndyCar
