The Swede, who joined Andretti Global over the offseason, set apart down a flying lap of 51.9512s (115.724 mph) round the circuit’s shorter 1.67-mile layout, which got here leisurely in the afternoon session. He logged 83 laps in whole on the day.
“This present day is terribly considerable, especially when you are in a recent crew,” Ericsson acknowledged. “It has been a form of discovering out processes, discovering out the folk, discovering out the vehicle. Everything is recent, clearly. We don’t safe a form of tests this present day. So, we would prefer to maximise that.
“We correct had a very true day. So, that’s optimistic, and we’re feeling tantalizing about going to St. Pete.”
Team Penske’s Will Vitality ended up second after nailing a 52.0076s most attention-grabbing lap, correct sooner than Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward in third, who led the morning session, pounded out 98 laps on the day (second-most) and hit a group apart of 52.0104s.
“Attend with the No. 5 crew this day,” O’Ward acknowledged, noting his change to his long-established crew after subbing for injured crew-mate David Malukas in Monday’s working.
“It became as soon as a very soft checking out day for us this day. We obtained by our whole slump notion, and now we’re ready to safe the season kicked off in St. Pete. We’re in point of reality expecting getting down there.”
Felix Rosenqvist became as soon as ready to fabricate a solid affect in the early days of his transition to Meyer Shank Racing, pushing a lap of 52.0305s to discontinue up fourth. Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Graham Rahal got here away fifth, placing down a session-most 99 laps that featured a non-public most attention-grabbing of 52.0598s.
Chip Ganassi Racing’s newbies Kyffin Simpson and Linus Lundqvist wrapped up the day sixth and seventh, respectively. Santino Ferrucci surged AJ Foyt Racing into the head 10 to discontinue up eighth, sooner than Juncos Hollinger Racing newcomer Romain Grosjean in ninth and Ganassi’s Marcus Armstrong in 10th.
The tip 10 had been separated by 0.325s.
Rookie Christian Rasmussen (Ed Carpenter Racing) performed up 11th, adopted by Colin Braun in 12th, who set apart down 67 laps in his first-ever taste of Indy vehicle equipment that got here courtesy of Dale Coyne Racing. Braun became as soon as 0.9657s off the set apart whisper by Ericsson.
Of cloak, the whole pinnacle 5 in Tuesday’s take a look at set apart down sooner cases than first day pacesetter Alex Palou.
The Mountainous Prix of St. Petersburg, which indicators the originate of the 2024 season for the IndyCar Series, is March 10.
