The NTT IndyCar Series held the first of two open test days at Phoenix Raceway on Tuesday.
After one hour of dedicated rookie running and four hours of open track time, David Malukas was the driver at the top of the timesheets.
Malukas, who is taking over the #12 Team Penske entry this season, logged a lap of 20.8569 seconds at an average speed of 172.605 MPH.
The 24-year-old, who has a lot of attention on him this season, likened the track to World Wide Technology Raceway where he has earned two podiums in the past four years.
Following closely behind was his new team-mate Josef Newgarden in second and Will Power, who is now with Andretti Global, in third.
Kyle Kirkwood was fourth fastest followed by Alex Palou sneaking in a fast lap near the end of the session in his Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.
All 25 drivers fully utilized the time available, even as the sun set late in the day. Christian Rasmussen was on track more than anyone, however, logging an impressive 128 laps in his #21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevy.
Smooth track and high speeds
Drivers were pleasantly surprised at how smooth the track felt, and how well the DW12 chassis handled the unique layout.
As the times fell, the rest of the field realized they could push even harder in the corners to match the speeds set by others.
Nine drivers completed laps over 170MPH, with more likely to push their comfort zone on the second day of testing.
There was one incident as rookie Caio Collet brushed the wall with approximately one hour left in the day.
He climbed from the car uninjured and the team suspected the young Brazilian simply dipped his tires below the apron in Turn 4.
Before his incident, Collet logged 51 laps and gained some valuable data for his AJ Foyt Racing crew in the first test day.
IndyCar newcomer Mick Schumacher was the first driver to head on track to complete a run in the allocated rookie session at the start of the afternoon.
He remained busy as he learned the ropes and ended the day with 109 laps under his belt. By the end of the day he had logged the 23rd best overall time, on pace with other rookies in the field.
PREMA was not present at the test as it reportedly continues to search for a buyer of its IndyCar program.
A second, longer track day is scheduled for Wednesday, the final preseason session ahead of the 2026 season opener in St. Petersburg.
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