P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Rahal fires warning shot – Portland race setup better than qualifying
Graham Rahal, who secured his second consecutive pole position on the road course at Portland on Saturday, believes that his race setup is even better than his qualifying setup. He narrowly beat last year’s pole-winner Scott McLaughlin by 0.033s, after previously outperforming the field on the Indianapolis road course. Rahal is confident that his Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda, sponsored by People Ready, has the speed to keep him at the front throughout the race.
Rahal expresses his satisfaction with the choice of tires, stating that using the primary Firestones was a wise decision. He believes that Firestone has done a good job, although the tires can be quite challenging due to their early peak and rapid degradation. Unlike most other teams, Rahal’s team decided to use only one set of tires per session, in order to conserve sets for the race.
Rahal hopes for a clean start and minimal caution periods, as he believes that the overall talent level has increased in the field, resulting in fewer yellow flag situations. He expects the red tires to pose a challenge, especially in hotter temperatures, but notes that the cooler weather tomorrow may benefit those using reds. Rahal acknowledges the difficulty of completing the race distance on the red tires and suggests that most teams may opt for the more durable black tires.
Regarding his struggles with the red tires, Rahal explains that he had to make specific adjustments to get the car to rotate properly with them. He also goes on to clarify that he found the primary tires to be more suitable for his driving style in certain areas of the track.
Source: Racer.com
