IndyCar GP Indy: O’Ward tops practice times after Palou paces FP1

O'Ward pipped Chip Ganassi Racing's reigning champion Palou to the top spot by just 0.029s to continue the fine form he showed by winning last time out at Barber Motorsports Park with a 1m09.783s lap.

He was just 0.058s quicker than Colton Herta (Andretti Autosport) in third, with defending Indy GP winner Rinus VeeKay fourth for Ed Carpenter Racing 0.142s adrift.

After early red flags caused by Dalton Kellett and Jimmie Johnson finding the gravel, Herta had set the fastest time on primaries.

Rahal Letterman Lanigan's Jack Harvey was the first to set a time on the Firestone softer alternate tyres, lapping the 2.439-mile track in 1min10.097s.

Then O'Ward's team-mate Felix Rosenqvist shaved 0.042s off that to claim top spot for not even half a minute before VeeKay went faster again with a 1m09.926s lap.

VeeKay's hold on top spot was also brief, as Palou and O’Ward delivered their best laps of the weekend so far to take the top two slots.

Their times remained unbeaten to the end of the session, with Herta moving into third late on ahead of VeeKay - who had languished down in 21st after FP1.

RLL's Christian Lundgaard set the fifth-quickest time at the scene of his debut in last year's second visit to the Indy road course, when he qualified an excellent fourth.

Romain Grosjean, who took his first IndyCar pole at last year's Indy GP for Dale Coyne's team, was the second-quickest of the Andretti contingent in sixth ahead of VeeKay's team-mate Conor Daly and Rosenqvist.

Patricio O'Ward, Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet

Photo by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images

Simon Pagenaud drove his Meyer Shank Racing entry into ninth ahead of former Penske team-mate Will Power, who has five wins and five pole positions on the Indianapolis road