Power tops pre-season IndyCar test at COTA

Will Power has topped the timesheets in the IndyCar Series official pre-season test at Circuit of the Americas.

The series veteran recorded a 1:46.7603 for Team Penske as one of two drivers to go under the 1:47s bracket.

“It always feels great for all my guys to see we have the pace,” said Power.

“We definitely went through as many items as we could. Obviously it’s very rushed there at the end with all the Red Flags and everything.

“We didn’t get everything done but got some of the big stuff we needed to know.”

It’s the first time the full field has tested together with the new aeroscreen that will make it’s racing debut at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in mid-March.

Power said he definitely noticed a difference between the old and new iterations of the Dallara IR-18.

“There’s definitely a lot more weight up high and forward. You’ve got to work out what makes the car work well with that.

“It’s still early days. You’ll go through the whole season changing and switching and trying to work it out. I think we’re in a good window right now.”

Power’s time was only six tenths away from his pole position effort at the same circuit in 2019, which was set on the softer compound tyre. Teams were only able to use the hard compound tyre for the test.

Andretti Autosport driver Alexander Rossi was second quickest with a 1:46.9999, which put him 0.2396s adrift of the top spot.

As previously reported, Scott McLaughlin was third overall on a 1:47.2630 in the second of the Team Penske entries.

Fellow stablemate and 2019 champion Josef Newgarden was fourth overall ahead of IndyCar Series sophomore Colton Herta of Andretti Harding Steinbrenner Autosport.

Simon Pagenaud’s sixth place effort ensured that all four Team Penske entries were at the pointy end of the field.

Series debutant Oliver Askew was seventh for the newly named Arrow McLaren SP outfit.

Five-time series champion Scott Dixon was the leading Chip Ganassi Racing entry. This year the team expands to a three-car operation with Felix Rosenqvist joined by fellow Swede Marcus Ericsson. They finished 11th and 19th respectively.

Another newcomer, Alex Palou, was ninth fastest for Dale Coyne Racing with Team Goh. The livery he will run this year pays tribute to the iconic Team Lark pink and black McLaren F1.

Askew’s Arrow McLaren SP teammate Patricio O’Ward completed the top 10 , which was covered by less than a second.

The final stanza of the day was expected to bring quicker times, but Red Flag periods caused by Herta and O’Ward meant much of that running was interrupted.

NTT IndyCar Series, COTA Open Test