2026 Long Beach practice at Long Beach delivered exactly what IndyCar promised this weekend. Practice gave us razor-thin margins, brushes with concrete, and a power struggle between Andretti, Penske, and McLaren.
Practice 1 – Friday
Andretti Global’s newest recruit, Will Power, topped Practice 1 with a blistering 1:07.6053 in the No. 26 Honda. He showed that his move from Team Penske is beginning to pay off on one of IndyCar’s most demanding street circuits. Power’s lap put him nearly 0.2 seconds clear of former teammate Scott McLaughlin. McLaughlin’s Friday ended in dramatic fashion when he slid sideways into the Turn 9 tire barrier late in the session. McLaughlin was unhurt, but the car was not.
The opening session also confirmed Andretti’s traditional Long Beach domination. Championship leader Kyle Kirkwood moved into the Top 3 with a 1:07.9861 in the No. 27 Honda. Reigning champion Alex Palou posted a 1:08.0030 in the No. 10 Honda, with Meyer Shank Racing’s Marcus Armstrong rounding out the Top 5. Andretti’s depth was highlighted by Marcus Ericsson. He made it three team cars in the Top 6 with a 1:08.1932 in the No. 28 Honda. For Power, the performance was particularly encouraging after an up‑and‑down start to the 2026 season. He arrived at Long Beach only 13th in the standings after four races.
Practice 2 – Saturday
If Friday’s Practice 1 belonged to Power, the Saturday session was all about Kirkwood and Pato O’Ward. In the combined Practice 2 session, O’Ward was the first to really stamp his authority. He put the No. 5 McLaren machine on top with a 1:08.051. Teams cycled through longer runs on Firestone’s Primary (Hard) tire. With around 25 minutes remaining, O’Ward headed a tightly compressed Top 10. That included Scott Dixon, Palou, David Malukas, Josef Newgarden, Kirkwood, Felix Rosenqvist, Christian Lundgaard, Armstrong, and Rinus VeeKay. With eight minutes to go, Kirkwood bolted on a fresh set of Primaries and delivered a 1:07.794, seizing P1 and briefly living up to his “King of the Streets” nickname. Kirkwood and O’Ward became the only drivers to dip into the 1:07s. O’Ward immediately hit back, edging ahead with a 1:07.791 to reclaim P1.
The final minutes produced a flurry of flying laps as teams tried to squeeze in one last qualifying run. When the dust settled, the official classification showed Kirkwood on top with a 1:07.541, just ahead of O’Ward’s best effort. Rosenqvist, Kyffin Simpson, and Graham Rahal rounded out the top five. Armstrong, Dixon, Lundgaard, Ericsson, and Newgarden ensured that Andretti, Ganassi, Arrow McLaren, and Penske were all well represented in the Top 10.
In Group 1, Alexander Rossi set the early pace with a 1:08.262 before Malukas became the first driver in that segment to crack the 1:07s with a 1:07.775. Palou and Armstrong traded second place with laps in the 1:07.8 bracket early on. The Group 1 session was interrupted when Nolan Siegel found the wall exiting Turn 8 with only 2 minutes remaining. Race Control allowed the field an out‑lap and a single flying lap to finish.
Group 2 proved even more disjointed. Schumacher had an early incident at the fountain hairpin that brought out an early red flag and ended his practice runs for the second day. Later, Romain Grosjean hit the outside wall at Turn 1 with around five minutes remaining. Grosjean struck the concrete beyond the tire stack, forcing Race Control to end the session early to repair the barrier. The stoppage left several drivers short of representative laps heading into qualifying.
Practice Recap
Practice has set up some storylines: Andretti wants to rule the streets. Long Beach is a place for surprises. O’Ward and McLaren look primed to spoil the Andretti party. Ganassi’s depth keeps them in the mix even without topping a session. With the Top 10 in Practice 2 covered by just over 0.6 seconds and several big names unable to get a quali-run with the red‑flag interruptions, qualifying will be frantic. The single‑lap Firestone Fast Six format will punish any mistakes against Long Beach’s unforgiving walls. Based on practice, the NTT P1 Award looks likely to be decided in a knife‑edge fight between Andretti, Penske, and a confident McLaren.
Feature Image Credit: Joe Skibinski | Penske Entertainment