Despite - or perhaps because of - his frustration at being taken out of the race in the way he was, Kanaan appeared angry for Fisher too.

"I have to say it was a bit weird," he said of riding to the medical centre with the cash-strapped owner-driver, "I don't think I've seen any race car driver cry so much after a crash. And, for sure, I know her reasons for it. She's been having a tough time building the team, putting probably her own money there, and I think that was the reason for that crying, the sadness, what that was all about.

"I was bummed to get out of the race, I was so disappointed, but, when I got in the safety truck, she was just crying so hard, it broke my heart. At that point, I think anybody in Sarah's position would have been desperate because it was probably the end right there."

The Brazilian, however, refused to blame the outpouring of sorrow on the difference in the sexes.

"I can't blame it on the girl thing because, when we're on the track, I don't see them as girls, I see them as another race car driver," he said, before turning his attention to the altogether different reaction AGR team-mate Danica Patrick showed to being taken out of the race by Penske's Ryan Briscoe..

"I'm probably not the best guy to [comment]," he said of Patrick's march towards the Penske pit, "If you go back last year with my incident with Sam Hornish, I shouldn't be saying anything.

"Danica, she was hot. When we're driving the race cars, the adrenaline is so high, but I don't necessarily agree with her attitude. I don't want to get involved because every driver has their own opinions, and it's never going to be the same - I'll have mine, she'll have hers, Ryan had his, Marco will have his. The point is, point blank, they both lost the race.

"People saw the way I reacted on my incident, which I learned from the past. I took a deep breath and I acted the way I did because I felt it was the right way to do it. Danica probably should have done the same, but I can't really say what she should or she could. If she asks my opinion, I will give it to her. I'm pretty sure Michael [Andretti] had a talk with her. You can just try to improve the situations - my whole point to her was 'I understand you're frustrated'.

"I understand you wanted to probably chat with him or whatever, but you're bigger than that, you're a lot bigger than that. You represent this sport so well. I mean, every single person in that grandstand cheers up for you for what you've done, so maybe sometimes you need to try to cool down and take a five minutes before we do something because it can cost us later on."