Palou leads the way in the first session of testing at Sebring

Álex Palou set the best time of the IndyCar test at Sebring with 52.626 seconds on Monday, reaffirming his status as the favorite for the season opener on March 1 in St. Petersburg. The reigning four-time champion for Chip Ganassi Racing led a session where 23 drivers worked on the short circuit of the Florida track, the last massive on-track opportunity before the Phoenix test next week.

The gap between Palou and the rest was minimal. Felix Rosenqvist of Meyer Shank Racing was 24 thousandths back, Rinus VeeKay completed the top three in his first test with Juncos Hollinger, and Josef Newgarden placed fourth. All four ran in the morning session for Group 1, when temperatures were cooler than in the afternoon. Marcus Armstrong led the afternoon's Group 2 with 52.847 seconds, fifth overall.

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Conditions Divided by Groups

Sebring split the test into two groups due to space limitations on the 2.7-kilometer short circuit, which only uses turns 4 to 13 of the full track. The format forced each group to run under different conditions: cool morning versus hot afternoon, with air temperature reaching 24°C (75°F). Firestone supplied four sets of primary tires per team: two of 2025 specification and two of the new 2026 construction for street circuits. Most teams saved the new tires for today, Tuesday.

Schumacher Gains Experience Without Time Pressure

Mick Schumacher finished 23rd with 54.269 seconds, but that position does not show the real work of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing at Sebring. Schumacher raced in Formula 1 with Haas (2021-2022) and in Alpine's Hypercar program in the WEC before coming to IndyCar. He has accumulated just three test sessions since signing with RLL: Indianapolis Motor Speedway in October, Homestead-Miami last week for his first contact with ovals, and now Sebring.

"The main reason for doing this test is to prepare for St. Pete," explained Schumacher. "St. Pete is our total priority. The short circuit at Sebring has some corners comparable to St. Pete's, so it's a good place to work on that. For us, it's about ticking off some items on our list before the first race."

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RLL is executing a methodical adaptation program. At Homestead-Miami, he completed 97 laps after Ryan Briscoe, the team's coach, first took him on a reconnaissance lap at 90 mph in a minivan to show him lines and reference points. The next step will be Phoenix on February 17-18, where he will face an oval with all teams present and experience aerodynamic turbulence from cars ahead for the first time.

Grosjean Seeks Seat with Dale Coyne

Romain Grosjean returned to an IndyCar single-seater for the first time since September 2024. The Swiss driver, piloting the #18 for Dale Coyne Racing, recorded a 53.798 seconds lap, 22nd in the morning's Group 1. His presence confirms he is actively seeking a seat for 2026, although Dale Coyne has not announced who will partner with Dennis Hauger.

Grosjean raced 2024 with Juncos Hollinger Racing, signed as a reserve for Prema in 2025 without testing or competing, and participated in Lamborghini's IMSA program. Dale Coyne is the team where he debuted in IndyCar in 2021 after leaving Formula 1. Hauger, the Indy NXT 2025 champion, was the fastest of the three rookies, finishing 18th with 53.413 seconds.

Caio Collet placed 20th as the other driver in his first year. Dennis Hauger outpaced both, confirming the level that earned him the Indy NXT title.

Prema Absent, Ed Carpenter Evaluates Options

Prema Racing did not send cars to Sebring. The Italian team faces serious financial problems that cast doubt on its participation in 2026. Each week without a resolution reduces the chances of seeing them in St. Petersburg. Robert Shwartzman took pole for the Indianapolis 500 last year on his debut, but that moment seems distant given the team's current crisis.

Ed Carpenter Racing was present but inactive on Monday. The team reserved its time for Tuesday, when it will evaluate Hunter McElrea. The New Zealander has experience in Indy NXT and IMSA LMP2 and contested one IndyCar race for Dale Coyne at Toronto in 2024. ECR conducted private tests at the end of 2025 with Christian Rasmussen and Alexander Rossi, who finished 15th in the championship with 297 points.

O'Ward and Arrow McLaren in Mid-Table

Pato O'Ward, the 2025 runner-up with 515 points, placed seventh with 53.018 seconds in his first official preseason test with Arrow McLaren. Kyle Kirkwood of Andretti Global was sixth with 52.918 seconds, consolidating a good preseason start for the driver who finished fourth in the championship with 433 points.

Arrow McLaren fielded its three drivers with mixed results. Nolan Siegel finished 13th with 53.172 seconds, five hundredths slower than Louis Foster of RLL. Christian Lundgaard closed in 21st with 53.769 seconds as the slowest of the three Papaya team drivers.

Scott Dixon of Ganassi placed 14th with 53.210 seconds. Will Power of Andretti Global shared 16th place with Santino Ferrucci, both with 53.337 seconds. David Malukas of Penske finished 19th with 53.442 seconds.

Activity continues today, Tuesday, with the groups inverted: Group 1 will run in the afternoon and Group 2 in the morning. It will be the last opportunity to work on a permanent road course before the Phoenix test next week, where teams will face their first preseason oval with the entire field present.

IndyCar Sebring Test Results