St. Petersburg – EL1: Kirkwood in front, McLaughlin in the wall

It was at the end of the session, when most of the drivers were testing the soft tires provided by Firestone for the first time, that Kyle Kirkwood climbed to the top of the timesheets. The Floridian, who is therefore racing at home this weekend, beat two of the favorites for the title this season, the two-time defending champion Álex Palou (Chip Ganassi Racing) and Scott McLaughlin.

For the Team Penske rider, who recently extended his contract for the next few seasons, the session did not end in the best possible way, as a few moments after setting his best time, he crashed at the exit of turn 3. The result was an impact with the wall, which did not seem so strong, but was enough to break the front-left suspension and send McLaughlin spinning down the straight.

The former Australian Supercars champion was less fortunate than the Meyer Shank Racing team-mates. Felix Rosenqvist and Marcus Armstrong both spun in this tricky section, and they managed to avoid contact with the wall. Marcus Ericsson (Andretti), explained to FOX that these errors could come from the greater weight at the rear of the car since the introduction of the hybrid system. Although the latter made its debut in July 2024, it has not yet been used on all circuits of the season, including St. Petersburg.

The newcomers of Prema Racing have officially started their American adventure with the 18th fastest time for Callum Ilott, and the 24th fastest time for Robert Shwartzman. Free Practice 2 will take place from 16pm French time, while qualifying will be held at 20:30pm.

St. Petersburg Grand Prix – Free Practice 1

ALSO READ > Our favorites from the 2025 IndyCar season