Early problems for Mick Schumacher
One driver who barely got any running in was Mick Schumacher, who was forced to park his Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing car after just three laps due to mechanical issues. Schumacher would not complete another lap, leaving the rookie with very little opportunity to learn the circuit.
Strong start for Alex Palou on the primary tires
Once the track went green again, it didn’t take long for Alex Palou to move to the top of the timing sheets. His 1:08.448 proved fast enough to secure the fastest time in the combined portion of the session. Felix Rosenqvist set the second-fastest time in this segment, ahead of Pato O’Ward and Scott McLaughlin.
The combined session had to be stopped for a second time late on after debris was spotted on the main straight past the start/finish line. The drivers were given one final lap afterward, but no significant improvements followed.
Will Power shows strength on the alternate tires; Scott McLaughlin crashes
During the split portion of the session, the first group proved significantly faster than the second group—the top three times of the day were all set in this segment. This was despite the session being shortened by a full minute after McLaughlin crashed into the tire barriers in Turn 9 due to a shifting issue. Power set the fastest time of the day in this segment, ahead of McLaughlin and Kirkwood.
In the second group, Palou set the fastest time, which ultimately placed him fourth overall for the day. Marcus Armstrong and Christian Lundgaard set the second- and third-fastest times, finishing fifth and eighth respectively in the combined classification.
The day was notably dominated by Honda-powered entries. McLaughlin was the only Chevrolet driver to feature inside the top six.
Full results of the 1st free practice session on Long Beach
PhotographyHonda Racing HPD
