Alex Palou posted the fastest time in the opening practice session for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix, edging out Kyle Kirkwood by just two hundredths of a second. Palou topped the second group of the split session, while Kirkwood was fastest in the first group. Will Power was quickest on the primary tires during the combined session and ended the day third overall.

Troubled start for several drivers

Just five days after the Indy 500, the IndyCar drivers were back behind the wheel, this time on the bumpy streets of Detroit. However, the Indy 500 had clearly taken its toll on two drivers; alongside Alexander Rossi, Josef Newgarden was also seen on crutches following his crash on Lap 125. Felipe Nasr is on standby this weekend should Newgarden be too limited by his injury.

The session got off to a rough start for two drivers. During the installation lap, Marcus Ericsson lost a significant amount of oil, bringing out a brief red flag. Sting Ray Robb also encountered immediate technical problems, as clutch issues were discovered on his car. Ericsson was able to return to the track shortly after repairs, while Robb missed the 45-minute combined portion of the session.

Andretti Global quick on primary tires

During the combined portion of practice, Pato O’Ward was the first driver to put in a competitive lap before Kyle Kirkwood went slightly quicker. With twenty minutes remaining, fellow Andretti Global driver Will Power improved by another two tenths of a second. That lap remained at the top of the timing sheets for the remainder of the combined session.

Alex Palou narrowly quicker than Kyle Kirkwood

Following the combined session, the field was split into two groups to allow the drivers to complete qualifying simulations with less traffic on track. In the opening group, Kirkwood impressed by lapping nearly half a second quicker than the rest of the field in his session. Rinus VeeKay finished second in the group ahead of Scott McLaughlin. The session was briefly stopped following a spin by Romain Grosjean.

It came as little surprise that Alex Palou topped the second group. He also held a comfortable advantage over the rest of the field, with Marcus Armstrong ending up four tenths behind in second place, while Christian Lundgaard followed nearly six tenths adrift. Interestingly, many drivers were unable to improve on the alternate tires compared to their fastest laps on the primary compound.

The second group was also briefly interrupted by a red flag. This time it was Sting Ray Robb who spun after the Juncos Hollinger Racing team had resolved the earlier clutch issue.

Full results of the 1st free practice session on Detroit