Alexander Rossi sets fastest pace in Phoenix IndyCar test morning as teams prepare for 2026 return

Rossi quickest in Day 2 morning run at Phoenix Raceway

Alexander Rossi led the Wednesday morning session of the Unser IndyCar Open Test at Phoenix Raceway, setting the fastest lap of the three-hour run in Ed Carpenter Racing’s No. 20 Chevrolet. Rossi’s best lap was recorded early in the session at an average speed of 174.444 mph, placing him at the top of a tightly grouped field as teams continued preparations for the 2026 NTT IndyCar Series season.

Josef Newgarden ended the morning second in Team Penske’s No. 2 Chevrolet at 174.362 mph, followed by Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou in third with a 174.220 mph lap in the No. 10 Honda. Tuesday’s quickest driver, Team Penske’s David Malukas, placed fourth in the morning order at 173.759 mph, while Pato O’Ward was fifth for Arrow McLaren at 173.706 mph. Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood followed at 173.660 mph.

Workload and track time varied across the 25-car field

Testing programs produced notable differences in lap counts and timing-sheet positions. Newgarden logged comparatively limited mileage in the morning session, while other drivers completed longer runs aimed at gathering data rather than chasing a single fast lap. The morning session included only one on-track interruption, triggered by a track inspection.

Rossi’s teammate Christian Rasmussen featured in the top group for much of the session and remained among the leading entries as the order evolved in the final hour. Further down the order, several teams used the session to continue oval acclimation and evaluate baseline setups for the one-mile tri-oval.

Rookies and recovery efforts: Schumacher progresses, Collet returns after Tuesday crash

The morning also provided an update on two notable developing stories from the test. Mick Schumacher, an oval and IndyCar rookie, improved on his second day of running and set the 16th-fastest speed at 171.096 mph. Within Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Louis Foster was the fastest of the organization’s cars in the session, placing 14th at 171.705 mph.

A.J. Foyt Racing’s Caio Collet returned to the track after an incident in Tuesday afternoon running. Collet completed the morning session and recorded the 24th-fastest speed, with teammate Santino Ferrucci 25th.

Why Phoenix matters: final test before the season, and a race return after 2018

The two-day Phoenix test is positioned as a key preseason checkpoint, bringing the full grid together on an oval ahead of the opening rounds of 2026. IndyCar is also scheduled to race at Phoenix Raceway on March 7, marking the series’ first event at the venue since 2018.

• Fastest morning lap (Day 2): Rossi, 174.444 mph
• Top three: Rossi, Newgarden, Palou
• Notable returns/progress: Collet back on track; Schumacher improved on Day 2

The Phoenix open test continued Wednesday afternoon with the final scheduled session, as teams completed their last major on-track preparations before the season begins.