Both were the great protagonists of the fight for the 2021 title. Both were on the podium of the last race played. One won it, and the other obtained the overall leadership in it. Pato O’Ward and Álex Palou are still determined to star in a new chapter of their rivalrycordial off the track but fierce on it, at the Indianapolis Grand Prix that precedes the dispute of the mythical 500 miles.
The Spanish driver had led the first practice session, and on this occasion the Mexican from McLaren SP has responded leading the second 45-minute stint with a best time of 1:09.783, being the best of the four pilots who managed to lose 1:10. After the winner of the Grand Prix of Alabama, Palou was placed continuing the good previous sensations of him, and just 29 thousandths to command again, so he is one of the rivals to beat for pole tonight.
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After some discreet Free 1, Andretti Autosport reappeared with Colton Herta in third place and Romain Grosjean in sixthalthough the team in general seems not to have yet found a pace as devastating as the one they exhibited in a Barber from which they left practically empty. The Carpenter team also made great progress between sessionsreflected in the fourth place of the reigning winner Rinus VeeKay and the seventh of Conor Daly, who this week acknowledged that he had not yet managed to adapt his driving style to the demands imposed by the Aeroscreen.
In fifth place was Christian Lundgaard, who qualified fourth last year at this track in his first IndyCar test, but is still looking for his first career top-10 finish. On the contrary, he again surprised the Penske cars’ relative lack of speed, especially that of a Josef Newgarden who once again fell outside the top 15 for the second consecutive session. Will Power was his best exponent in tenth place, behind Felix Rosenqvist and Simon Pagenaud, another multiple Indy GP winner like Power. On the opposite side of the deck, after his second place in the first free practice, Callum Ilott could only be 19th this time.
During the session, two incidents were recorded that caused red flags: a touch with an exit from the track between Dalton Kellett and the rookie David Malukas, and a Jimmie Johnson spin who was left stranded in the gravel, although the veteran driver quickly returned to action. When Johnson finished last, Juan Pablo Montoya managed to gain a position and place 24th, 1.2 seconds off the fastest time, in a session in which the top 22 were once again separated by just seven tenths. A lot of equality and no margin for error in classification.
RESULTS OF PRIZE 2 OF THE INDIANAPOLIS GRAND PRIX
Photos: IndyCar Media