Indy 500 – FP1: Despite some issues, Álex Palou is fastest

In the mid-afternoon, the reigning Indy 500 champion brought his No. 10 Dallara-Honda back to the garage, convinced he was suffering from a problem with the right rear suspension. The Spaniard rejoined the race some twenty minutes before the checkered flag and simply set the fastest time of the day, with an average speed of 225,937 mph (363,610 km/h). Like his teammates Scott Dixon and Kyffin Simpson, Álex Palou was making his Indy 500 debut, the Ganassi team having participated in the April tests with chassis that had competed in the early races of the season on road and street circuits.

Marcus Armstrong (Meyer Shank Racing) and Conor Daly (Dreyer & Reinbold Racing) completed the top three on a particularly productive day under sunny skies for all the drivers competing in the 110th running of the Indy 500. For its return to the Speedway in May after a year's absence, Romain Grosjean (Dale Coyne Racing) posted the ninth fastest time of the day, three-tenths of a second behind Palou. Almost all of the 33 fastest times were achieved with the help of a slipstream, which is crucial for reaching impressive average speeds.

On the list of lap times achieved without the aid of a tow, Jack Harvey (Dreyer & Reinbold Racing) confirmed the excellent form of the team, which only participates in the Indy 500 each year, with the third fastest time, ahead of Kyle Kirkwood (Andretti Global) and his teammate, Will Power. The Australian, winner in 2018, hopes to add his name to the Borg-Warner Trophy for a second time on May 24th.

The Indy 500 tests continue this Wednesday, from 18 p.m. to midnight.

IndyCar – 2026 Indianapolis 500
The ranking of Free Practice 1

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