INDYCAR NEWS: Palou Leads the Way in Opening Practice at Detroit GP
Alex Palou, the defending winner of the Detroit Grand Prix, showcased his skills by setting the fastest lap time in the opening practice session with a blistering 1m01.7210s on the softer alternate tires. The Chip Ganassi Racing Honda driver demonstrated his mastery of the 1.645-mile, nine-turn temporary street circuit in the heart of Motor City.
“It was busy,” Palou said, reflecting on his session. “I went to visit the runoff areas a couple of times here and there; just trying to find the limit and the grip of the track. [The] track is grippier; grippier than last year. I think we were only like two seconds faster than when we did practice one last year. Pretty happy. The car feels good so far.”
Pato O’Ward, fresh from a heartbreaking runner-up finish at the Indianapolis 500, finished second overall with a lap time of 1m01.7315s, just 0.0105s behind Palou’s leading effort. Colton Herta, who switched to the harder compound late in the group running, ended up third overall with a lap time of 1m01.7968s, 0.0758s behind Palou.
Kyle Kirkwood, Herta’s Andretti Global teammate, made a late jump to secure fourth overall, only 0.0893s behind the leader. Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin and Josef Newgarden rounded out the top six, with the latter still basking in the glory of his second Indianapolis 500 win.
The session was not without its incidents, with two red flags being waved. The first came when Ed Carpenter Racing rookie Christian Rasmussen stalled off course, resulting in a five-minute time penalty. The second red flag was triggered by Dale Coyne Racing’s Jack Harvey, who made contact with the inside wall of Turn 7 and suffered severe damage to his right-front, forcing him to retire from the session.
In the initial 45-minute “all cars” segment, Christian Lundgaard set the early pace with a lap time of 1m03.6125s on the harder primary compound. However, Herta soon took the top spot with a lap time of 1m03.0957s, which was later surpassed by Palou’s 1m02.7778s. Herta responded with a 1m02.0219s to regain the top spot, which he held for the remainder of the segment.
The IndyCar 2023 season is heating up, and the Detroit GP is shaping up to be an exciting event. Stay tuned for more updates on the IndyCar standings and schedule as the drivers battle it out for the championship.
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