O’Ward lapped the 1.7-mile Sebring short course in 51.882sec, around a quarter second faster than his new teammate Alexander Rossi and his longer-standing teammate Felix Rosenqvist who was a tenth further back.
All three were able to outpace Felipe Nasr, Porsche Penske Motorsport’s sportscar ace, who nonetheless did a fine job in the #2 Team Penske-Chevrolet normally driven by Josef Newgarden. Former Formula 1 driver Nasr, the 2018 and ’21 IMSA Prototype champion, last raced an open-wheel car in Formula E in the 2018-’19 season, and last drove one in the February 2020 IndyCar Spring Training at Circuit of The Americas. He was particularly impressive in the wet on that occasion, driving a Carlin-Chevy.
Santino Ferrucci was fifth fastest today for AJ Foyt Racing-Chevy, ahead of his first full season in IndyCar since 2019. He was just ahead of 28-year-old New Zealander Nick Cassidy, the 2019 Super Formula champion, who was trying out an IndyCar for the first time at the wheel of 2021 champion Alex Palou’s Chip Ganassi Racing-Honda. Cassidy is currently in his third season of Formula E, competing for Envision Racing, and was hot off the heels of a runner-up finish in Hyderabad, but he managed to turn a best lap of 52.518sec, and also completed the most number of laps of any of the cars in action today, at 156.
Benjamin Pedersen, the rookie and Indy Lights graduate in the second Foyt car, was eighth fastest.
Unfortunately, the #22 Penske-Chevrolet that was fitted with a hybrid system in preparation for the 2024 season, ground to a halt early, leaving two-time and reigning champion Will Power kicking his heels for much of the day, much like in Monday's test.
However, Power did manage to squeeze in 53.693sec lap, 1.9sec off O’Ward’s pace, on his 14th and final lap. Given that the car is heavier than the non-hybrid machinery in action, its weight distribution is incorrect, and that Chevrolet insisted the test was all about learning the hardware and software related to the hybrid device rather than trying to set hot laps, the pace could be seen as encouraging.
| P | Driver | Team-engine | Fastest lap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pato O'Ward | Arrow McLaren-Chevrolet | 51.882sec | 124 |
| 2 | Alexander Rossi | Arrow McLaren-Chevrolet | 52.134sec | 102 |
| 3 | Felix Rosenqvist | Arrow McLaren-Chevrolet | 52.236sec | 134 |
| 4 | Felipe Nasr | Team Penske-Chevrolet | 52.239sec | 136 |
| 5 | Santino Ferrucci | AJ Foyt Racing-Chevrolet | 52.356sec | 114 |
| 6 | Nick Cassidy | Chip Ganssi Racing-Honda | 52.518sec | 156 |
| 7 | Benjamin Pedersen | AJ Foyt Racing-Chevrolet | 52.539sec | 127 |
| 8 | Will Power | Team Penske-Chevrolet hybrid | 53.693sec | 14 |
