During the post-race press conference, Rahal said the win in Detroit was rewarding because he had to beat more than just one person to earn it. The comment was a subtle dig at Hamilton, whose sole challenger at most races from 2014 through 2016 was his teammate, due to Mercedes-AMG Petronas’ dominant power units.
Hamilton has come under fire from IndyCar drivers and fans alike recently as a result of comments he made regarding Fernando Alonso’s qualifying result for the Indianapolis 500. The British driver told L’Equipe, “Fernando, in his first qualifying, came fifth,” according to the Indianapolis Star. “Does that say something about (the level) of IndyCar?”
James Hinchcliffe, who finished P3 on Saturday, reportedly said something very similar to Rahal after the race.
“It’s funny hearing comments about the depth of our field from someone that only has to race three other cars,” Hinchcliffe said.
The timing of Rahal and Hinchcliffe’s responses is a bit interesting, as Hamilton was in the United States over the weekend, and likely heard about them.
Thumbnail photo via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
