Palou, winner in Detroit final yr, propelled his #10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda to a flying lap of 1m01.7210s on the softer alternate tires to set the tempo within the session.
The short lap got here through the first group and rookies phase, which got here within the quarter-hour after the all-cars portion.
“It was busy,” Palou mentioned. “I went to go to the runoff areas a few instances right here and there; simply looking for the restrict and the grip of the observe.
“[The] observe is grippier; grippier than final yr. I feel we have been solely like two seconds sooner than after we did apply one final yr. Fairly glad. The automotive feels good to this point.
“Clearly, now we have nonetheless half of a grid to run these alternates however yeah, fairly glad.”
Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward, contemporary off a heartbreaking runner-up spot within the Indianapolis 500 final weekend, ended up second general on the timesheets – first within the break up vehicles second group – at 0.0105s behind Palou’s main effort.
Andretti International’s Kyle Kirkwood managed to make a late leap within the first group to vault to 3rd general at solely 0.0893s behind.
Kirkwood’s team-mate Colton Herta by no means switched off the tougher compound from the all vehicles phase however had sufficient tempo to finish up fourth general.
Group Penske’s Scott McLaughlin was fifth, forward of team-mate and not too long ago topped two-time Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden in sixth.
Colton Herta, Andretti International w/ Curb-Agajanian Honda
Photograph by: Geoffrey M. Miller / Motorsport Pictures
Santino Ferrucci ended seventh within the #14 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet, with Chip Ganassi Racing’s Marcus Armstrong in eighth. Group Penske’s Will Energy was ninth, with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Christian Lundgaard taking the ultimate spot of the highest 10.
One of many two purple flags got here out with six minutes left within the first group of the break up vehicles session, after Ed Carpenter Racing rookie Christian Rasmussen stalled astray whereas working forward of Palou. He was handed a five-minute time penalty because of this.
The second was with the most important, and solely, shunt, which occurred within the second group and rookies portion of the break up vehicles phase, with Dale Coyne Racing’s Jack Harvey making contact with the within wall of Flip 7 and pounded the skin wall on the nook’s exit. The injury was extreme because the right-front was destroyed and he was compelled to step out of the automotive. He was working twenty sixth out of 27 vehicles on the time of the incident.
When the opening 45 minutes ‘all vehicles’ phase started, it was Christian Lundgaard setting the early tempo and holding it for the preliminary 16 minutes. The Dane rolled across the 1.645-mile, nine-turn momentary road circuit within the coronary heart of Motor Metropolis with a stout lap of 1m03.6125s on the tougher main compound.
Nonetheless, it wasn’t lengthy earlier than Herta jumped to the highest with a run of 1m03.0957s because the working order or the highest 5 turned a revolving door.
Palou responded with a 1m02.7778s lap, however solely quickly as Herta responded with a 1m02.0219s to return again to the highest spot on the 20-minute mark. He held the time for the remainder of the phase that was solely run on the tougher main tyre compound.
Energy did go to second with a lap of 1m02.4474s, which was 0.4255s off the mark set by Herta.
There have been a number of drivers that went off, with Flip 8 inflicting hassle for the likes of Dixon, Kirkwood, Lundgaard, O’Ward, Palou and Alexander Rossi.
Throughout a stack up close to the tip of the phase, Kirkwood was tagged within the right-rear by Newgarden going into Flip 6. There was slight beauty injury to the entrance wing of Newgarden, however each continued with out challenge.
