IndyCar – Helio Castroneves sets the pace in Phoenix

Helio Castroneves improved his performance on the first day of IndyCar testing in Phoenix (Arizona) by achieving a time of 19”2735 on the one-mile oval, thus setting the new unofficial record on this track. The Brazilian finished ahead of his teammate simon pagenaud which ranked one hundredth of the reference.

“I had a slight problem with the car in the first session, but we were able to restore that in the second”, explained the three-time winner of the Indianapolis 500. “The car feels very competitive at a qualifying pace and we can easily adapt to a race pace. »

The Frenchman also beat Arie Luyendyk's official record which dates from 1996 by three tenths. “We worked on the race all day and I feel very comfortable in all types of conditions now”, commented Poitevin.

Josef Newgarden (Ed Carpenter Racing), Ed Carpenter (Ed Carpenter Racing) and Marco Andretti (Andretti Autosport) complete the top five. Sebastian Bourdais, confirmed the day before by KVSH Racing, finished in 14th place.

“It’s a track that offers a lot of grip”, confirmed the four-time Champ Car champion. “We take more than 5G and it takes commitment on an oval like this to exceed 175 mph (281 km/h). In comparison, we experience 3,5G in Milwaukee (Wisconsin) and the consequences can therefore be serious if we make a mistake. »

The stables ofIndyCar will test the road package on Tuesday March 1 and Wednesday March 2 in Sebring (Florida). The season will begin on March 13 with the Grand Prix of St Petersburg (Florida).

Results of the test sessions in Phoenix