Indy 500 – Castroneves dominates Carb Day

If he only starts 19th, his worst qualification in 17 participations, Helio Castroneves proved this morning that he will have to be reckoned with on Sunday. The Brazilian from Team Penske set the best time in the final free practice session of the 101st edition of the Indy 500, completing a lap in 39, at 5819 mph (227,377 km/h). He beat Takuma Sato (Andretti Autosport / Honda) and Tony Kanaan (Chip Ganassi Racing / Honda).

The leading fifth is completed by pole sitter Scott Dixon (Chip Ganassi Racing / Honda) and the Spaniard Fernando Alonso (Andretti Autosport / Honda), which confirms its good intentions.

Title holder Alexander Red (Andretti Autosport / Honda) is seventh ahead of Josef Newgarden (Team Penske / Chevrolet), Juan Pablo Montoya (Team Penske / Chevrolet), Ryan Hunter-Reay (Andretti Autosport / Honda) and Will Power (Team Penske / Chevrolet), eleventh.

simon pagenaud (Team Penske / Chevrolet) is in fifteenth place ahead of James Davison (Dale Coyne Racing / Honda), who replaces Sébastien Bourdais hurt.

Note that the session was interrupted by several yellow flags, including one waved after James Hinchcliffe's Honda twin-turbo V6 gave up the ghost, thus confirming that HPD has not yet resolved its reliability problems.

Tomorrow will be reserved for the parade. The start of the 101st edition of Indy 500 will be given on Sunday at 18 p.m. French time.