Indy 500 Day 1 practice results: Alex Palou leads the way at 225.937mph

TL;DR

Alex Palou topped Day 1 of Indy 500 practice with a speed of 225.937mph, defending his title. Marcus Armstrong was a close second at 225.895mph before being surpassed by Palou in the final minutes.

Key points

Alex Palou topped Day 1 practice at 225.937mph
Marcus Armstrong was second with 225.895mph
Palou drives for Chip Ganassi Racing
Palou faced a balancing issue early in the session
Final 10 minutes saw Palou take the lead

Chip Ganassi RacingMeyer Shank Racing

Motorsport photo

began a strong defense of his Indianapolis 500 crown by pacing the opening day of practice on Tuesday.

The Spaniard, who was the first driver to go out and kickstart the six-hour session, was relatively quiet due to what he called a “balancing issue.” However, he returned in the final 10 minutes and he threw down a 225.937mph flyer to go fastest in the #10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

Meyer Shank Racing’s Marcus Armstrong also made his presence felt and held the top spot for the majority of the day with a quick lap of 225.895mph, which held until being bumped late by Palou.

Conor Daly, driving the #23 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, was the fastest Chevrolet in third at 225.838mph. Two-time Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden, also a two-time IndyCar Series champion, was fourth on the speedcharts at 225.121mph in the #2 Team Penske Chevrolet.

Six-time series champion Scott Dixon, the 2008 Indy 500 winner, was fifth at 225.087mph in the #9 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

Graham Rahal (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing) was sixth, ahead of (Andretti Global) in seventh. (Team Penske) was eighth, followed by () ninth, and (Team Penske) 10th.