Christian Lundgaard led the second practice session for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on Saturday morning, posting the quickest lap on a challenging track still affected by overnight rain. Driving the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, Lundgaard clocked a time of 1 minute, 1.6157 seconds on the 1.8-mile temporary street circuit, which had damp patches that delayed many drivers from pushing early in the 64-minute session. The practice session’s mixed track conditions and late activity hinted at a competitive qualifying round later today for the NTT P1 Award.
Competitors Shine Ahead of Crucial Qualifying
The fight for pole position appeared wide open as six different teams held the top six times in practice. Marcus Armstrong maintained strong momentum, placing second with a lap of 1:01.6592 in the No. 66 ROOT Insurance Honda for Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb-Agajanian. Meanwhile, reigning and four-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Alex Palou posted the third fastest time at 1:01.6947 in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Palou, who won this race last year, showed consistent pace after a sixth-place finish in Friday’s practice.
Kyle Kirkwood also impressed with the fourth-best time at 1:01.7382, driving the No. 27 JMBullion/Gold.com Honda for Andretti Global. Kirkwood, third quickest overall on Friday, is considered by many as a leading contender for the NTT P1 Award. Following closely, 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner Alexander Rossi took fifth in the No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet, clocking 1:01.7653.
David Malukas, competing in his debut weekend with Team Penske, secured sixth place at 1:01.7894 driving the No. 12 Verizon Penske Chevrolet, showing promising speed alongside seven-time winner Scott McLaughlin. McLaughlin, who had led Friday’s session, settled for seventh at 1:01.7921 in the No. 3 DEX Team Penske Chevrolet.
Crashes Affect Several Drivers During Practice
The session was marked by several incidents, including notable crashes involving Christian Rasmussen and Will Power. Rasmussen, driving the No. 21 ECR Splenda Stevia Chevrolet, lost control in Turn 2, spinning into the concrete barrier and sustaining moderate front-end damage. Recounting his crash, Rasmussen said,
“Unfortunate way to start our qualifying day here. I just lost the rear in Turn 2.”
?Christian Rasmussen, Driver
Shortly before, Will Power experienced a crash at Turn 10 in the No. 26 TWG AI Honda for Andretti Global. Power, who recently joined Andretti after 16 full-time seasons with Team Penske, was uninjured but his car faced significant front-end damage. Reflecting on the accident, he stated,
“I wasn’t braking late. We had a lot of (brake) locking issues yesterday, so we changed brakes. We were hoping to fix the issue.”
?Will Power, Driver
Upcoming Qualifying and Race Schedule
Following this practice, drivers will head into NTT P1 Award qualifying at 4:30 p.m. ET, broadcast on FS2, FOX One, FOX Sports app, and INDYCAR Radio. The 100-lap Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg race will take place Sunday at noon ET. The session’s mixed results and challenging conditions suggest a tightly contested qualifying battle with multiple teams and drivers vying for top starting spots.
Implications for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Season
This practice session set a dramatic tone for the weekend at St. Petersburg, emphasizing the unpredictability of street circuits and the importance of adapting to changing track conditions. With seasoned drivers like Palou and Rossi aiming to defend and build on past successes, paired with rising talents such as Lundgaard, Armstrong, and Kirkwood showing speed, the competition is fierce. The crashes involving Rasmussen and Power underline the fine line between pushing limits and risking damage in practice, adding tension heading into qualifying. The outcomes from today’s sessions will likely influence strategies and momentum as the series progresses.
