The 2023 IndyCar season opened with a car going airborne on the first lap.
Devlin DeFrancesco’s car went airborne on the opening lap of the St. Petersburg Grand Prix after he was hit by Benjamin Pedersen in a wild crash at the back of the field. Pedersen, a rookie, was one of the last drivers in the crash and he piled into DeFrancesco’s car so hard that it sent the No. 29 car into the air spinning like a top.
Take a look at what happened:
Per the NBC broadcast, no one involved in the crash was “seriously injured.” Helio Castroneves appeared to have a slight limp after he got out of his car.
Simon Pagenaud, Santino Ferrucci and other drivers were also involved in the crash. The wreck appeared to start when Ferrucci ran into the back of Castroneves and Castroneves’ spinning car blocked the narrow track.
Five drivers were officially declared out of the race after the crash because of damage. The race was red-flagged immediately after the wreck so the track could be cleared.
