Josef Newgarden set the pace in final practice for a shot at a third consecutive Indy 500 victory, clocking a blistering lap of 225.687mph. Takuma Sato followed in second with 225.415mph, while Scott Dixon, Devlin DeFrancesco, and Will Power rounded out the top five. Notably, four of the top five drivers are former Indy 500 champions.
Felix Rosenqvist, Helio Castroneves, Pato O’Ward, David Malukas, and Conor Daly completed the top ten positions in the practice session.
Will Power, starting from the 33rd position due to a Penske-related controversy, bravely experimented with the second racing groove early on. The session also saw an intense moment on the backstretch where Rosenqvist found himself squeezed three-wide by two other cars.
Issues plagued Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL) drivers, with Sato experiencing a problem mid-session and teammate Graham Rahal having to end his practice early due to undisclosed mechanical troubles. Rahal expressed frustration with the team’s ongoing setbacks.
Meanwhile, rookie pole-sitter Robert Shwartzman struggled to find comfort in the draft, finishing 29th after Prema Racing made significant adjustments. Colton Herta faced braking problems, Jack Harvey’s fuel rig malfunctioned, and Alexander Rossi had to stop early due to a water pump failure. Lastly, Ryan Hunter-Reay’s car caught fire towards the end of the session, prompting a rapid exit from the vehicle to ensure safety.
