Sebring Tests - Day 1: Pato O'Ward sets the best time

It's kind of back to school for IndyCar! With less than two weeks to go until the championship kicks off on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, the peloton is gathering a few miles away in Sebring for two days of testing.

Published 18/02/2025 à 10:40

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Sebring Tests – Day 1: Pato O'Ward sets the best time

Appreciated by the teams for its extremely bumpy surface (making it possible to best simulate the urban tracks on the calendar) and its mild weather, the former military airfield of Sebring therefore hosts the official tests of theIndyCar for two days. Despite a very busy schedule, including tests in Formula 1, Pato O'Ward (Arrow McLaren) did not lose his driving skills and set the best time of the day, ahead of Marcus Armstrong (Meyer Shank Racing) who doubled his track time compared to the other drivers.

Indeed, half of the field rode in the morning, while the other half took part in the afternoon. However, the second Meyer Shank Racing driver, Felix Rosenqvist, was ill and was unable to take the wheel of his Dallara-Honda, leaving the New Zealander to occupy second and eighth positions on the timesheets. Double defending champion, Álex Palou (Chip Ganassi Racing) finished the day in third place, just a tenth behind O'Ward.

“It’s the best feeling in the world, the best job in the world”, O'Ward said. “I was so excited to come back to Sebring and get in an IndyCar, work with the engineers again. I really feel at home and it's a second family to me. So I always look forward to the start of the season."

Nolan Siegel (Arrow McLaren) crashed in the afternoon, ending up in the wall. While the American driver was not injured, his car was more damaged, and it will need a good mechanical session before being able to return to the track. Scott Dixon (Chip Ganassi Racing) was only able to complete two laps, due to a mechanical problem on his Dallara-Honda.