Arrow McLaren Indy Toronto: Friday Report

Round 10 of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES is underway in Toronto.

Felix Rosenqvist led the day for the Arrow McLaren IndyCar team, finishing third in the lone practice session. Alexander Rossi and Pato O'Ward ended the session in P7 and P8.

Read what the drivers and Racing Director Gavin Ward said after Day 1 on the streets of Toronto.

Felix Rosenqvist, Driver, No. 6 SmartStop Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, said:

"It is a pretty different experience this year. It seems like there are some new repaves and patches on the track, so initially the session was really slippery and everyone was just waiting for the track to go quicker, but it didn’t seem to happen. Then it kind of got traction, and the lap times tumbled. It was a new challenge, I’d say. It was the most different it’s been to get back here. I think Turn 9, Turn 10 and Turn 11 were a complete rethink in terms of driving lines and just how you approach it, really. Some other corners were better, like Turn 3 and Turn 6 were less bumpy. They improved some places, while some places are harder as a driver.

"So, today was quite challenging I thought, but it was a good session for us. The car felt good, and I think all of us as a team were pretty up-front all session."

Alexander Rossi, Driver, No. 7 NTT DATA Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, said:

"It was a good start to the weekend. The No. 7 NTT DATA Arrow McLaren Chevrolet rolled off strong. It’s in the window and was competitive through the whole session. So we’ll make some minor adjustments overnight and keep developing it as the day goes on tomorrow."

Pato O'Ward, Driver, No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, said:

"We had a good start here in Toronto. It was a very messy session for us, but I was able to get a good read on what the car was doing pretty much all around the lap. We just never had a lap when the tire was at its optimal, so I'm looking forward to tomorrow and trying to make it a little bit better, and we’ll see what we've got."

Gavin Ward, Racing Director, Arrow McLaren, said:

"Practice 1 was a great start to the weekend for the team. As always, it’s super tight. I think we need to find a little bit to fight with the Andrettis who looked pretty strong today, but there’s time there. I have no doubt that we’ll dig deep and find something overnight."

Session Times