By: Ashley McCubbin

TORONTO, Ontario — Entering the weekend with high hopes, everything was dashed away on the opening lap for Takuma Sato following contact.

Coming through the second turn to go onto Lakeshore Blvd. on the streets of Toronto, Sato was on the outside of Pato O’Ward for position, when he was pinched into the outside wall. The result was race-ending damage to the left front.

“It was obviously disappointing,” Sato told NEWS FROM THE PITS. “Very good start, side-by-side in turn one, and then in turn two, gave enough room to the guy alongside and he lost control and hit me – and that was it.”

If he was not involved in the incident, the Japanese felt strong about his chances despite qualifying 19th for the 85-lap event.

“We started on the prime tire, the same strategy that allowed Graham (Rahal) to finish fourth so I won’t say we would’ve been here, but there was always great potential to have a good run,” he commented. “The car was also fast on the primary tire in the warm-up so it would’ve been nice.”

The DNF on Sunday marked Sato’s second of the season, in a year where he has only scored a pair of top-10’s in 10 races, highlighted by a seventh in the Indianapolis Grand Prix.

“It’s been fantastic,” he commented. “We obviously haven’t achieved what we wanted, but it’s a great team and the Dale Coyne boys have done a great job with everything every weekend. It’s just a lot to learn for a new team. I’m happy with the experience so far.”