P1racenews AI automatic summary:
The NTT IndyCar Series roared back from a month-long break on Friday to complete the first practice session of the World Wide Technology Weekend. High heat and humidity greeted drivers as they headed out on track to try to find the best setup for the egg-shaped oval. Colton Herta set a blazing time early on, […]
Drivers faced challenging conditions with high heat and humidity as they began their search for the best setup on the egg-shaped oval. Colton Herta impressed early with a fast lap, surpassed later by David Malukas who claimed the top spot. Malukas’ lap of 25.1635 seconds at an average of 178.830 MPH showed his strong performance at Gateway. Team Penske drivers Scott McLaughlin and Will Power followed closely, with McLaughlin securing the third fastest lap. Despite a penalty, Alex Palou set the fifth best time, while Romain Grosjean and Conor Daly also showed promising speed. Linus Lundqvist faced issues with the hybrid system but recovered, finishing 14th, and Katherine Legge will aim to improve before qualifying. The focus now shifts to a two-lap qualifying run ahead of the 260-lap race on Saturday.
