News summary
- Álex Palou led Practice 1 at Laguna Seca with a 1:09.899 lap for Chip Ganassi Racing.
- Felix Rosenqvist was second, just 0.091s behind, while Pato O’Ward completed the top 3 in the opening session.
- Caio Collet finished 24th, while the Brazilian enters the season finale with a 6-place grid penalty after an engine change following the Milwaukee doubleheader.
Fresh from securing his 5th IndyCar championship at Milwaukee, Álex Palou wasted no time showing why he remains the benchmark of the series. The Spaniard opened the Grand Prix of Monterey, the 2026 season finale at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, with the fastest time in Practice 1.
Palou set a 1:09.899 in the #10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda during Group 1 and remained at the top of the overall classification after Group 2 completed the session.
The closest challenger was Felix Rosenqvist, who topped Group 2 with a 1:09.990 for Meyer Shank Racing. The Swede was therefore just 0.091s behind Palou and finished the session second overall.
The fight for the championship runner-up position also started strongly, with Pato O’Ward third for Arrow McLaren after a 1:10.176 lap. Scott McLaughlin followed in fourth with a 1:10.319, while Palou’s Ganassi teammate Kyffin Simpson was fifth with a 1:10.376.
Graham Rahal was sixth for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing with a 1:10.459, just 0.002s ahead of Marcus Ericsson. David Malukas was eighth with a 1:10.470, followed by Alexander Rossi and Christian Rasmussen, who completed the top 10 for Ed Carpenter Racing.
The result continues Palou’s remarkable form at Laguna Seca. The Spaniard has won the last 2 IndyCar races at the California circuit and entered the weekend as the favorite for the Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey, the official name of the season finale.
2 red flags interrupt opening session
The opening portion of Practice 1 was interrupted by 2 red flags.
The first came when Josef Newgarden went off at Turn 6. The Penske driver put his wheels on the dirt and spun before the Rahal Straight, but managed to return to the track. IndyCar nevertheless stopped the session briefly.
After the restart, Scott Dixon also had a moment, losing control at the Andretti Hairpin and triggering only a local yellow.
The second red flag came late in the first segment after Santino Ferrucci crashed at Turn 9. The Foyt driver lost control and hit the tire barrier, bringing the session to an early end with around 2m30s remaining.
Palou subsequently established the benchmark for Group 1 with a 1:09.899. Rosenqvist then came closest in Group 2, but nobody was able to beat the Ganassi driver before the checkered flag.
Palou takes control in Group 1
Group 1 included Palou, Collet, Scott Dixon, Christian Lundgaard, Kyffin Simpson, Graham Rahal, Dennis Hauger, Alexander Rossi, Christian Rasmussen, Mick Schumacher and Marcus Armstrong among others.
Simpson initially set the pace with a 1:10.376, while Rossi and Rasmussen moved the Carpenter cars into second and third overall.
Palou then responded with the fastest lap of the session, a 1:09.899, opening 0.477s over Simpson at that stage.
Rahal later moved into third with a 1:10.459, while Malukas climbed to fourth with a 1:10.470. Collet finished the group in 13th with a 1:12.535.
Rosenqvist comes closest in Group 2
O’Ward established the initial benchmark in Group 2 with a 1:10.176, followed by Ericsson and Newgarden.
McLaughlin then moved into second with a 1:10.319, while Rosenqvist waited until the closing stages to make his decisive move.
With just over 2 minutes remaining, the Meyer Shank driver posted a 1:09.990 to take the top spot in Group 2 and move within 0.091s of Palou’s overall benchmark.
Nobody could improve further, leaving Palou at the top of the combined classification.
Collet starts finale with engine penalty
Caio Collet enters the Grand Prix of Monterey with an additional challenge after A.J. Foyt Racing installed a new engine following the Milwaukee doubleheader.
The change resulted in a 6-place grid penalty for Sunday’s race. Collet could only manage 24th in Practice 1, setting a 1:11.359.
The Brazilian still has a slim mathematical chance of overtaking Dennis Hauger and Mick Schumacher in the Rookie of the Year battle, while also attempting to move the #4 into the top 22 of the entrant standings.
The 2026 IndyCar season concludes this weekend at Laguna Seca, with Practice 2 scheduled for Saturday before qualifying and the final race of the championship on Sunday. The official event is the Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey.
IndyCar 2026: Grand Prix of Monterey Practice 1 results
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Álex Palou | Chip Ganassi Racing | 1:09.8994 | — |
| 2 | Felix Rosenqvist | Meyer Shank w/ Curb-Agajanian | 1:09.9907 | +0.0913 |
| 3 | Pato O’Ward | Arrow McLaren | 1:10.1764 | +0.2770 |
| 4 | Scott McLaughlin | Team Penske | 1:10.3198 | +0.4204 |
| 5 | Kyffin Simpson | Chip Ganassi Racing | 1:10.3765 | +0.4771 |
| 6 | Graham Rahal | Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing | 1:10.4596 | +0.5602 |
| 7 | Marcus Ericsson | Andretti Global | 1:10.4619 | +0.5625 |
| 8 | David Malukas | Team Penske | 1:10.4708 | +0.5714 |
| 9 | Alexander Rossi | Ed Carpenter Racing | 1:10.5012 | +0.6018 |
| 10 | Christian Rasmussen | Ed Carpenter Racing | 1:10.5551 | +0.6557 |
| 11 | Marcus Armstrong | Meyer Shank w/ Curb-Agajanian | 1:10.5565 | +0.6571 |
| 12 | Scott Dixon | Chip Ganassi Racing | 1:10.7743 | +0.8749 |
| 13 | Louis Foster | Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing | 1:10.7809 | +0.8815 |
| 14 | Rinus VeeKay | Juncos Hollinger Racing | 1:10.8109 | +0.9115 |
| 15 | Mick Schumacher | Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing | 1:10.8378 | +0.9384 |
| 16 | Nolan Siegel | Arrow McLaren | 1:10.9416 | +1.0422 |
| 17 | Kyle Kirkwood | Andretti Global w/ Curb-Agajanian | 1:11.0176 | +1.1182 |
| 18 | Christian Lundgaard | Arrow McLaren | 1:11.0238 | +1.1244 |
| 19 | Josef Newgarden | Team Penske | 1:11.1727 | +1.2733 |
| 20 | Will Power | Andretti Global | 1:11.2189 | +1.3195 |
| 21 | Santino Ferrucci | A.J. Foyt Enterprises | 1:11.2993 | +1.3999 |
| 22 | Romain Grosjean | Dale Coyne Racing | 1:11.2997 | +1.4003 |
| 23 | Dennis Hauger | Dale Coyne Racing | 1:11.3327 | +1.4333 |
| 24 | Caio Collet | A.J. Foyt Enterprises | 1:11.3593 | +1.4599 |
| 25 | Sting Ray Robb | Juncos Hollinger Racing | 1:11.4268 | +1.5274 |
FAQ
1. When is the 2026 IndyCar race at Laguna Seca?
The Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey takes place Sunday, September 6, at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. The race is scheduled for 95 laps.
2. Who is fighting for second in the 2026 IndyCar championship?
Christian Lundgaard, Kyle Kirkwood and Pato O’Ward are at the center of the battle for runner-up honors. The championship was already secured by Palou at Milwaukee, but second place remains open heading into Monterey.
3. Has Álex Palou won at Laguna Seca before?
Yes. Palou won the last 2 IndyCar races at Laguna Seca, in 2024 and 2025, and arrives at the 2026 finale as the newly crowned 5-time champion.
