Reigning IndyCar champion Alex Palou set the fastest time during the first open test with hybrid engines at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver posted the fastest time in the final hour of the test day, bumping Josef Newgarden from the top spot. Rinus VeeKay surprised everyone with the third-fastest time of the day, after being called by Dale Coyne Racing less than 24 hours earlier to drive the #18 car.

During the open test, in which each team could participate with one car, the teams had their first opportunity to test the hybrid technology at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This addition has a significant impact on the balance of the cars. While it provides around 60 extra horsepower during use, the cars have also become about 105 pounds / 50 kg heavier.

Newgarden dominated most of the test day. The winner of the last two Indy 500s was the fastest in the short morning session and remained at the top for much of the afternoon session. It wasn't until the final hour that Palou managed to go even faster.

“It was a good test day,” Palou said afterward. “We were able to try a lot of things. Yesterday we tested for Firestone, but today was about us, Chip Ganassi Racing, and Honda. We’re happy with the results. Even though you test a lot of different things, you still want to finish the day as the fastest.”

Newgarden finished in second place behind Palou. The third position was a surprise from Rinus VeeKay, who received a call from Dale Coyne on Thursday to test for the team on Friday. It was not only VeeKay’s first time with Dale Coyne Racing but also his first time driving a Honda-powered car. He stayed in the top five for most of the day and moved up to third in the final hour.

Throughout the day, there were other new driver-team combinations besides VeeKay/Dale Coyne Racing. Alexander Rossi tested for Ed Carpenter Racing for the first time (7th), and Christian Lundgaard made his debut in the McLaren car (10th).