P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Thursday’s practice session for the Indianapolis 500 got off to a swift start as drivers used the early 10 am ET start and its cooler ambient conditions to perform qualifying simulations. Andretti …
Thursday’s practice session for the Indianapolis 500 began with drivers aggressively running qualifying simulations due to the early 10 am ET start offering cooler conditions. Colton Herta from Andretti Global set the pace with a no-tow best lap of 223.143mph in the first 15 minutes, while Rinus VeeKay from Ed Carpenter Racing closely followed with a 222.627mph lap. Herta also recorded the fastest lap overall with a 226.218mph after getting a tow, which was later surpassed by Josef Newgarden from Team Penske with a 226.684mph. Despite increasing traffic, Pato O’Ward from Arrow McLaren claimed the top spot with a 228.861mph lap, holding onto it for the first 90 minutes until teammate Kyle Larson joined the track after an engine change. A crash involving Chip Ganassi Racing’s Linus Lundqvist occurred when he hit the Turn 2 wall, but he walked away unharmed. O’Ward maintained his lead after two hours with Scott McLaughlin from Penske in second and Alex Palou from Ganassi in third. Alexander Rossi from Arrow McLaren faced technical issues, necessitating a return to Gasoline Alley for repairs, as the order remained the same at the halfway mark of the four-hour session.
