The sun may have been hiding behind the clouds at Road America, but Colton Herta's speed was on full display as he topped the charts in a wet and wild first practice session.
The Andretti Autosport driver danced through the raindrops to set the fastest lap time, beating out his competitors in a session marked by four red flags. Herta's impressive pace was a testament to his skill and adaptability in tricky conditions.
However, it wasn't all smooth sailing for the young American. His teammate, Alexander Rossi, was forced to park his car after an early spin, bringing out the first of four red flags.
Meanwhile, Patricio O'Ward's idea to start the session on wet tires proved to be a wise one, as he quickly moved up the leaderboard to challenge Herta's pace. The Arrow McLaren SP driver ultimately finished second, just ahead of his teammate, Felix Rosenqvist.
In the first practice session, Alex Palou set the early pace, but a switch to Firestone reds ultimately propelled him to the top of the charts. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver's strong showing continued in the second practice session, where he pitted the wet conditions to claim the top spot once again.
Despite the challenges posed by the rain, the drivers were able to get a good feel for the track, with many opting to switch to dry tires for the second half of the session. As the day wears on, it will be interesting to see how the teams adapt to the changing conditions and how the grid will shake out for qualifying.
Stay tuned for more updates from Road America, where the IndyCar drivers will be pushing the limits of their machines in the wet and wild conditions.
