15 drivers were on track Monday for the first of two days of testing ahead of the 2024 NTT IndyCar Series season.
Nearly the entire paddock was on hand at the Sebring short course to prepare their machines for the opening round, which is less than two weeks away.
1,047 laps were turned in total, and Alex Palou was the driver that lapped the 1.67-mile course the fastest with a time of 52.0883 seconds.
The reigning champion was third fastest in the morning session, but pulled ahead of the field in his new-look DHL car during the warmer afternoon hours.
“Nowadays, we don’t get as many tests as we would like,” Palou said. “We would always want to have a lot of test days, but honestly, it’s super important when we are only one week and a half out of St. Pete.
“We want to go through a lot of the engineering list that we’ve been thinking about all offseason. We won’t have enough time. But it’s a way to get the rest of the drivers, just all the crew, all the team together and try and get some ideas in person.”
Christian Lundgaard was just a hair slower than Palou, and placed his RLL Honda second on the timesheets. Josef Newgarden was third on the list, placing Chevrolet engines among the front-runners.
Alexander Rossi turned the most laps of anyone, completing 89 laps with his three sets of Firestone tires that were allowed per driver.
Jack Harvey was on track with Dale Coyne Racing despite not yet having a confirmed ride for the upcoming season, and turned all of his laps during the afternoon half of the day’s allotted time.
The configuration of the cars mirrored what the drivers will use during the opening rounds of the 2024 season.
Updated components including a lighter Aeroscreen and gearbox housing were installed on all cars, but none of the hybrid powertrain components were fitted. Those electrification pieces are scheduled to be fitted for the second portion of the upcoming season.
Most drivers who participated in Monday’s running will sit on the sidelines while their team-mates get a turn on Tuesday.
One notable exception is Pato O’Ward, who climbed behind the wheel of David Malukas’ #6 car for the first day of running while the young driver recovers from his broken wrist.
O’Ward will turn laps in his own #5 machine on Tuesday, ensuring that both are ready for the first race on the streets of St. Petersburg on March 10.
He will be joined by the other half of the IndyCar field, including Will Power, Santino Ferrucci, and Romain Grosjean.
| # | Driver | Time | Laps Completed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alex Palou | 52.0883 | 70 |
| 2 | Christian Lundgaard | 52.1065 | 53 |
| 3 | Josef Newgarden | 52.1298 | 75 |
| 4 | Colton Herta | 52.1909 | 69 |
| 5 | Alexander Rossi | 52.2521 | 89 |
| 6 | Pato O’Ward | 52.2541 | 66 |
| 7 | Scott Dixon | 52.2670 | 76 |
| 8 | Kyle Kirkwood | 52.3341 | 85 |
| 9 | Scott McLaughlin | 52.5433 | 48 |
| 10 | Rinus VeeKay | 52.5562 | 76 |
| 11 | Pietro Fittipaldi | 52.5891 | 65 |
| 12 | Tom Blomqvist | 52.7432 | 73 |
| 13 | Agustin Canapino | 52.7634 | 61 |
| 14 | Sting Ray Robb | 52.8353 | 78 |
| 15 | Jack Harvey | 53.0766 | 63 |
