Key Takeaways (TL;DR):
- Session Leader: Álex Palou set the fastest lap (1m14.991s) for Chip Ganassi Racing to top the delayed opening practice session at the newly completed Markham street circuit.
- Standout Performance: AJ Foyt Racing rookie Caio Collet surprised the field by setting the second-fastest overall time (1m15.045s), finishing just ahead of RLL’s Louis Foster.
- First On-Track Action: Following Friday’s complete cancellation due to unfinished circuit construction, drivers finally hit the track for a split-group practice format to begin Saturday’s compressed schedule.
After Friday’s track action was entirely wiped out due to incomplete circuit assembly, the Markham street circuit was finally declared ready on Saturday morning, August 15. IndyCar hit the track for Free Practice 1, with Álex Palou leading the way for Chip Ganassi Racing after posting a benchmark lap of 1m14.991s.
Caio Collet turned heads by setting the second-fastest time overall. The AJ Foyt Racing driver posted a 1m15.045s, missing Palou’s mark by just 0.054s.
Louis Foster placed third for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing with a 1m15.072s effort late in the session. Scott McLaughlin led the Team Penske contingent in fourth (1m15.298s), while Will Power rounded out the top five for Andretti Global (1m15.315s).
David Malukas (Penske) ended the session sixth despite reporting brake issues, while Marcus Armstrong (Meyer Shank Racing) and Marcus Ericsson (Andretti) posted identical times down to the fourth decimal place (1m15.4426s), with Armstrong taking seventh by virtue of setting his time first. Rinus VeeKay (Juncos Hollinger) and Dennis Hauger (Dale Coyne) completed the top 10.
How Free Practice 1 Unfolded in Markham
Despite being a brand-new track for IndyCar, drivers returned to the pits as soon as they completed an installation lap — at most two, as Christian Lundgaard, Sting Ray Robb, David Malukas, Scott McLaughlin, Josef Newgarden, Santino Ferrucci, Nolan Siegel, Caio Collet, and Rinus VeeKay did.
After a brief moment with no cars on track, the activity picked up pace and showed that Andretti started with a good setup. Kyle Kirkwood was the fastest with just over ten minutes into FP1, registering 1m17.871s ahead of Dennis Hauger from Dale Coyne, which uses engineering from the team run by Ron Ruzewski. Marcus Ericsson and Will Power came next.
Hauger took the lead 13 minutes into the session with a 1m17.303s, at the moment Lundgaard lost control and went through the turn 5 runoff area.
Kirkwood reclaimed first place with 1m16.778s, 0.524s faster than Hauger. Kyffin Simpson broke Andretti’s run and appeared in third with 1m17.389s, followed by Ericsson and Armstrong. The Meyer Shank driver soon improved, moving up to second with 1m17.056s.
Carpenter showed a promising sign 16 minutes into the session, putting Alexander Rossi and Christian Rasmussen in fourth and fifth with 1m17.168s and 1m17.299s, respectively. However, the pair soon dropped down the standings as several drivers broke into the 1m16s range. Kirkwood, meanwhile, had already dropped into the 1m15s bracket with 1m15.675s.
Ericsson was second with 1m16.021s, ahead of Hauger at 1m16.221s. Álex Palou appeared fourth with 1m16.267s. Armstrong, David Malukas, Scott McLaughlin, Caio Collet — with 1m16.778s —, Rossi, and Grosjean rounded out the top 10 as the session approached the halfway mark of the planned 40 minutes for the first part.
That was when the first red flag came: Ericsson spun at turn 3, but managed to get going on his own.
After about two minutes without cars on track, the green flag appeared. Soon, images showed Palou sliding on corner exit, but managing to avoid the walls.
With no significant changes in the classification, the red flag was brought out again with 13 minutes remaining in the first part. Simpson hit the turn 6 wall and suffered left-rear suspension damage.
The green flag came right after, and cars went out for about ten minutes of running. At that moment, Kirkwood remained ahead, with Ericsson, Hauger, Palou, Armstrong, Malukas, McLaughlin, Collet, Rossi, and Grosjean completing the top 10.
Palou jumped to third with six minutes left in the first part with a 1m16.151s, almost simultaneously with Collet’s jump to seventh with 1m16.613s. The Spaniard continued his charge and moved Ericsson out of second with 1m16.008s, while the Brazilian improved to 1m16.613s to take fifth.
Subsequently, Hauger and VeeKay rose to third and fourth with 1m15.895s and 1m15.925s, respectively. With two minutes left in the segment, Palou took the lead with 1m15.545s, placing 0.130s ahead of Kirkwood. Malukas, with 1m15.839s, moved up to third.
Lap times began to drop in the final seconds. Palou improved to 1m14.991s, taking the brief lead away from Louis Foster, who had recorded 1m15.074s. Collet came next with 1m15.214s, while Malukas, McLaughlin, Armstrong, VeeKay, Power, Kirkwood, and Ericsson completed the top 10. With the checkered flag already waving, Felix Rosenqvist lightly tapped the tire barrier.
Group 1
The 14 drivers had the track cleared for 12 minutes of activity at 11:54 AM (Brasília time, GMT -3), with some competitors going out on primary tires, like Collet, and others on softs, such as Lundgaard and Palou.
By the halfway point of Group 1’s 12 minutes, Palou set a 1m15.082s, but did not yet have the overall best time of FP1. Meanwhile, Malukas went straight at turn 3 but managed to avoid the tire wall. At that point, Palou, Siegel, Dixon, Lundgaard, and Rasmussen formed the top 5 of Group 1, with Collet sixth.
In the final seconds, only Armstrong and Rossi improved their times, finishing second and third in Group 1, respectively. Five drivers were already in the pits when the checkered flag waved. Thus, Palou, Armstrong, Rossi, Siegel, and Hauger formed the top 5 of Group 1, while Collet, still third overall, finished 11th in the group.
Group 2
Right away, drivers went out on soft tires, making competitive times appear faster. O’Ward ran wide early on at turn 3, which hindered the Mexican’s efforts to obtain a better spot on the table.
Collet took the lead of Group 2 midway through the 12 minutes, posting the second best time of the day with 1m15.045s, 0.230s ahead of Foster and 0.252s ahead of McLaughlin. RLL’s British driver improved to 1m15.072s with 1m30s remaining in the session, but did not displace the Brazilian.
The red flag appeared again shortly after, but IndyCar paused the clock with 1m20s remaining. The series allowed drivers to complete one last fast lap, but no improvements occurred. As a result, Palou finished FP1 in first, with Collet and Foster following.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Why were Friday’s track activities canceled at the Markham GP?
Friday’s sessions were canceled because the street circuit was not in proper condition to safely host practice sessions.
What was the final top 3 order in Free Practice 1?
1st Álex Palou (1m14.991s), 2nd Caio Collet (1m15.045s), and 3rd Louis Foster (1m15.072s).
