Pato O'Ward And Alex Palou Lead INDYCAR Sunday Morning Warmup At St. Pete

The top drivers prepare for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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Pato O'Ward of Arrow McLaren was the fastest driver in the INDYCAR Sunday morning warmup session for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, posting a lap time of 1:01.5944 around the 13-turn, 1.8-mile street course in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida. Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing was second fastest.

Why it matters

The Sunday morning warmup session is the final opportunity for drivers to dial in their cars before the race, allowing them to test different setups and get a feel for the track conditions. Strong performances in the warmup can be an indicator of who will be the top contenders in the race later that day.

The details

O'Ward and Palou were the standout performers in the 30-minute warmup session, with O'Ward's time being nearly two-tenths of a second faster than Palou's. The session allowed drivers to make final adjustments to their cars and get a sense of how the track conditions may change throughout the day as temperatures rise.

  • The Sunday morning warmup session took place on March 1, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida.

The players

Pato O'Ward

A Mexican racing driver who competes full-time in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES for Arrow McLaren.

Alex Palou

A Spanish racing driver who competes full-time in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES for Chip Ganassi Racing.

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The takeaway

The strong performances by O'Ward and Palou in the Sunday morning warmup session suggest they will be two of the drivers to watch in the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg later in the day, as they look to get their seasons off to a strong start.