Chip Ganassi Racing scored a 1-2 in last weekend’s IndyCar season opener at St Petersburg, Alex Palou leading home Scot🗹t Dixon by 2.8s, but the positions of its drivers could have easily been reversed had it not been for a technical issue.

Both polesitter Palou and sixth-place starter Dixon took advantage of an early caution, triggered by Team Penske’s Will Power crashing into the b𒊎ack of McLaren’s Nolan Siegel at Turn 3, to ditch their alternative tyres and switch to Firestone’s pꦦrimary compound.

The strategy💞 put Dixon ahead𓆏 of Palou on track and even when the duo simultaneously pitted on lap 39 of 100, it was the Kiwi who remained in front.

However, the final pitsto🍃p sequence changed the complexion of the race, as Dixon was unable to pit as intended on lap 72 due to a radio problem. Chip Ganassi Racing had asked him to box at the end of the lap, but he never received the message from the team.

It was only after his car’s dashboard warned him about lꦺow fuel on lap 73 🃏that he stopped, but by that time his team-mate Palou had already completed his own stop (on the previous lap).

Wit🔜h the advantage of new tyres, plus a series of quick laps either side of the pitstop, Palou was ablꦏe to undercut Dixon and emerge as the new net race leader.

Worse still, the 𝄹six-t🐷ime champion also dropped behind Penske’s Josef Newgarden, who then began to challenge Palou for the race win.

According to Dixon, the team radio worked p𒐪erfectly for the first 10 or so laps, before it started developing problems.

“That was frustrating,” said Dixon. “We had no radio. So I was just flying blind out ther꧂e. I think they were trying to call me in because on that last lap before we pitted, there was just so much traffic and we lost two or three seconds and that’s where the #10 car got us.

“Definitely frustrating. I think we had the speed. We had a great car. The pit stops were fantastic. Just would have been nice🦂 to have a radio so I c🌼ould have known what was going on out there.

“Frꦍustrated, man. I thought we really had that one and we came⛎ up short.”

Newgarden’s victory charge ultimately faded and he fell into the clutches of Dixon, who repassed him on the final🍎 lap♏ to secure second.

However, the 44-year-old was left to rue his chances, having felt the radio problem denied🧜 him victory at St Pete.

The lack of communication with his team also meant thಌat he received no information from spotters spread around the track.

“You’re out there by yourself of course, bu🅺t when there’s no radio to talk to, even fuel mileage,” he said.

“You’re not sure if you’re making the mileage to get to the next w🔯indow [or] what’s happening even with our spotters or anything like that.

“It’s definitely tough to run a ful💞l strategy a𒉰nd a full race like that to make sure you’re running off just a fuel light to see that you’re going to get into the pits. Ultimately, it cost us the race.”