Scott McLaughlin Fastest in 'High Boost' Test; Crashes for Larson and Sato

Scott McLaughlin set the fastest time during the ‘High Boost’ session of the Indy 500 open test. In this session, where drivers were allowed to run with the turbo boost levels used on Fast Friday and during qualifying, McLaughlin clocked the quickest lap time midway through. Takuma Sato recorded the second-fastest time and the quickest lap without a slipstream, but later crashed heavily. Kyle Larson also ended his day early with a crash.

During the 2.5-hour session, drivers were allowed to run with increased turbo boost to simulate qualifying conditions. This not only gave drivers their first chance to test qualifying setups, but it was also a crucial session for engineers and engine manufacturers Chevrolet and Honda – who used the opportunity to evaluate the hybrid system with additional power boost.

That the extra power translated into faster lap times became clear early in the session. Alex Palou was the first driver on track and turned a lap at an average speed of 231.203 mph – already six mph (10 km/h) faster than Wednesday’s quickest time. Will Power was next to raise the bar, becoming the first driver to break into the 232 mph range with a lap at 232.278 mph.

Former race winner Takuma Sato followed with an impressive run. Not only did he post the fastest lap at that point – 232.565 mph – he did so without the benefit of a slipstream. Sato’s time remained on top until Scott McLaughlin edged him out an hour into the session with a 232.686 mph lap. However, McLaughlin was aided by a slight tow from Christian Rasmussen’s car.

Kyle Larson was the last driver to take to the track, but his run was cut short. In his second lap, Larson went wide in Turn 1 and hit the wall. The damage to his car was severe enough that he lost steering, and at relatively low speed, he slid into the wall again in Turn 2.



The second crash of the two-day test came not long after the first. Ten minutes after the track was cleared, Sato crashed hard in Turn 1. There is no footage of the moment itself, but it appears that the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing driver lost control midway through the corner, spun, and slammed into the wall. His car then slid into Turn 2, where he was fortunately able to climb out under his own power – though he did suffer some bruising. Later analysis showed Sato entered the corner at a session-high 237.1 mph (381 km/h)!

In the final hour of running, the top times remained unchanged, and McLaughlin held on as the fastest man of the session.

After the 'High Boost' test, teams have two hours to convert their cars back to regular race configuration. From 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. ET (8:00 to 11:00 p.m. CET), testing will continue with the standard turbo boost setup.

Full results of the High Boost test