Group 1
After a long winter break the first competitive session of the IndyCar-season took place. The familiar format with two qualifying groups, the Fast 12 and then the Firestone Fast 6 was kicked off fittingly by reigning champion Álex Palou, who set the first time of the day.
With the first part of qualifying mostly being about setting the banker lap, the Catalan’s 1:05.1602 wouldn’t be representative, and soon Marcus Armstong would rise to the top with a 1:00.7250. His time would be quickly bested by lots of drivers, closing in on that one minute mark.
Josef Newgarden was the first to break it with a 0:59.9706, and with half the session gone, the switch to the green-walled alternate tyres is made by all the drivers. Switching on those tyres proved to be difficult, as it took a while until improvements started to show up on the timing sheet.
But when the improvements come it is Palou who rises to the top, quickly bested by Armstrong. With just a minute to go it is Marcus Ericsson who goes first, but the focus quickly goes to the top six, as those drivers advance to the Fast 12. The times tumble quickly, and it is Palou, among other who misses out on the second session.
Advancing were: Marcus Ericsson, Marcus Armstrong, Pato O’Ward, Josef Newgarden, Rinus VeeKay and Scott McLaughlin.
Group 2
The second group, with the added knowlegde about the performance of the alternate tyre, also started with setting some banker laps, with six-time champion Dixon opening the dance with a 1:02.9452. First one to dive into the sub-one-minute times was Colton Herta wit 0:59.5596, with the young American being forecasted as the polesitter by NTT Data.
Again, switching on the alternates proved difficult, but eventually the times started coming down, with Romain Grosjean being the first to join Herta below the one-minute mark, quickly followed by more, as the focus shifted to the top six again.
Will Power was on the outside looking in, but he managed to go to fourth, securing a spot in the next round. Calum Ilott, substituting for David Malukas came a tenth short of joining the Fast 12.
Advancing were: Colton Herta, Romain Grosjean, Felix Rosenqvist, Will Power, Scott Dixon and Christian Lundgaard.
Fast 12
In the Fast 12 the focus is again to end up in the top six, and earning an attempt to fight for pole position. One of the tactical choices to be made is whether or not to have multiple ‘sticker’ [new] sets of the alternate tyre for the race tomorrow, or to sacrifice one to get into the Fast 6.
First one out is Scott Dixon again, opening with a 1:01.6460. He is pipped by countryman Scott McLaughlin with a 1:00.3539. A little later it is the same McLaughlin who dives below the minute with a 0:59.9595, putting him on top when everyone pits for the alternate tyres. Which was good timing for Rinus VeeKay, as he kissed the wall coming out of turn 10.
Pato O’Ward is the first one with a proper improvement and goes to the top with 0:59.5711, but is quickly bested by Ericsson, Grosjean and VeeKay. Herta and Newgarden go to the top next, and with everyone returning to the pits it looks like the top six is set, but in an ultimate effort it is Felix Rosenqvist who goes to the top and bumps VeeKay out.
Through to the Firestone Fast 6 were: Felix Rosenqvist, Colton Herta, Josef Newgarden, Marcus Ericsson, Romain Grosjean and Pato O’Ward.
Firestone Fast 6
With just six cars on track there is ample room for everyone to put in the fast laps, and after the first set of banker laps it was Grosjean on top with a 1:00.5059, followed Newgarden and Rosenqvist, before the latter two improve to peg Grosjean down two spots.
After a quick stop it is Grosjean who goes back into second, while Herta only manages fourth on the primary tyres so far. Marcus Ericsson is the first to end session and stays sixth. Next one to the top is O’Ward with a 0:59.6540, closely followed by Newgarden, as Grosjean also calls it quits. Newgarden is then demoted to third by a 0:59.8189 from Herta.
With O’Ward and Herta returning to the pits only Newgarden and Rosenqvist are still on track, and right as flag drops it is Newgarden who goes to the top with a 0:59.5741, with Rosenqvist right behind him. The Meyer Shank-driver eventually comes 0.0058 short of pole.
