Indy 500 End Compared To F1 '21 Abu Dhabi Controversy: "Damn Shame"

In an exhilarating Indy 500 race, Josef Newgarden triumphantly claimed victory at the Brickyard. But while he was more than happy with the result, fans weren't pleased with how the dramatic race came to an end, with many comparing it to F1's controversial 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that saw Max Verstappen take the World Champion title over Lewis Hamilton.

The closing laps of the race were marked by three red flags, disrupting the flow but intensifying the drama with the final lap, similarly to '21 Abu Dhabi, being a sprint race to the chequered flag. With only one lap under yellow flags to ready themselves and the car compared to the usual two or more, fans questioned this strange decision.

Marcus Ericsson, who narrowly missed out on victory on the last lap, expressed frustration and raised concerns about the safety implications of the quick restart. Of course, he was in agreement with the outcome of the '21 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, so he had very little space to complain.

The controversial ending at the Indy 500 has ignited discussions among fans, many of whom are dissatisfied with the one-lap dash and its potential impact on the fairness and safety of the race. Comparisons to F1's Abu Dhabi finale, known for its contentious nature, have further fueled the discontent among racing enthusiasts.

Here's what fans wrote:

Marcus Ericsson opening twitter to see what people wrote to console him but instead he finds F1twt QT’ing his AD 21 tweet
#Indy500 #Indianapolis500 https://t.co/NhJubFMbPD pic.twitter.com/GuPLiV2kZB
— ahmed baokbah 🇸🇦🏎✈️ (@ahmed_baokbah) May 28, 2023

If a one lap red flag victory feels like this I can only imagine how a win as illegal as Abu Dhabi 2021 must feel man https://t.co/wmZppVkAQd
— kd🚀 (@pireili) May 28, 2023

This is way worse than Abu Dhabi 2021. They didn't pull the red flag immediately, then restart straight on to a green flag.
Ridiculous. Ericsson was robbed #Indy500
— J (@kingJibz98) May 28, 2023

Exciting end to the Indy 500, but it does give me Abu Dhabi 2021 vibes a bit…
— Ollie Millroy (@OllieMillroy) May 28, 2023

Abu Dhabi 2021 was like 1000X worse than the Indy 500 finish btw
— Calum (@Calum_F1) May 28, 2023

I love the #indy500 BUT...

- The decisions made in race control at the end were effectively #INDYCAR’s version of Abu Dhabi 21.

- They need to stop cars weaving across pit entry to break the tow before there’s a massive shunt. https://t.co/2moWv7kqxO
— Alex Nevill (@AlexNevillRacer) May 28, 2023

Indy 500 finish was the new Abu Dhabi 2021 I see. Damn shame.
— Skydog #KompanyOUT (@FCB_Skydog) May 28, 2023

Abu Dhabi 21 making it up as we go along vibes #Indy500
— Barry (@Barryr27) May 28, 2023

I now understand why everyone watching F1 for the first time in Abu Dhabi 21 loved that last lap 🤣🤣 #Indy500
— Haydon Gullis (@WTF1haydon) May 28, 2023

The Indy500 rulebook states that the lights can turn green as soon as the race restarts after a red flag, but it's certainly a strange choice to make with the usual being two laps of warm-up. But unlike Abu Dhabi, there were no rules being 'bent' so allow for this, and all of the cars were in the same scenario, each with cold tyres.

Obviously, the race director hadn't been watching F1 recently, otherwise they would have expected the backlash they're currently receiving. Marcus Ericsson took it very well, however, posting to Twitter:

"P2 at the 2023 INDY 500. Doesn’t get much closer then that. I gave it my absolute everything, and left it all out there on track. I’m proud of myself, my team @CGRTeamsand the no8 crew. We’ll be back."

🥈P2 at the 2023 INDY 500. Doesn’t get much closer then that. I gave it my absolute everything, and left it all out there on track. I’m proud of myself, my team @CGRTeams and the no8 crew. We’ll be back 👊🏻

Congrats @josefnewgarden @Team_Penske on the 🏆#ME8 #INDY500 pic.twitter.com/iBhGgcr5HT
— Marcus Ericsson (@Ericsson_Marcus) May 29, 2023

There's time for complaining, but this arguably isn't one of them.