Rossi & Palou complete first tests of IndyCar's IR-28 at Indianapolis

Credit: James Black

“It’s like Christmas morning,” said Alexander Rossi after he became the first driver to complete a test of the Dallara IR-28 as formal testing officially commenced toward of the introduction of a new Indy car in 2028.

“I’ve been a part of some new car launches before, and I can’t say that any have gone as smooth as this one has,” Rossi added. “That’s down to everyone involved. We’ve all been waiting for this for a long time. Drivers, fans, teams, sponsors and all of you have been looking forward to it, and now it’s finally here."

Rossi, along with four-time series champion Álex Palou spent their off-week from racing testing the car on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) road course following the formal announcement of the chassis on Tuesday, 28th July. Both drivers were chosen by their respective engine manufacturers, Chevrolet and Honda, to be the first in the IR-28.

Rossi was the first driver to step foot in the car on-track as he completed the first shakedown of the chassis at IMS just hours after it was announced on Tuesday, on a simplified version of the IMS road course, which featured him going both ways down the frontstretch.

A more formal test followed for Rossi the following Saturday on the full road course, before Palou took over the car for running on the Sunday. Wet conditions led to a limited run plan, which saw the 2025 Indianapolis 500 winner return to complete the programme on the following Tuesday.

The car was in full specification barring the use of a 2.4-litre mule Ilmor engine instead of the updated 2.4-liter hybrid that will be in use for 2028 and beyond.

The running throughout the weekend was interrupted by the traditional Indianapolis weather, but Rossi's run plan was completed successfully on the first day, completing 36 laps of running, with the developmental team earning valuable feedback after the first successful test of the IR-28.

“It's hard to do a full comparison because of the conditions we were dealing with, but everything you could hope for from a day like today was accomplished,” Rossi said. “The fact that the car is completely new and the only real issue we had was replacing one sensor is phenomenal. That’s a huge testament to Dallara, IndyCar and everyone involved.

“The car has a lot of incredible qualities that we haven’t even scratched the surface of yet. It was an incredible start and just a joy to drive.”

Credit: Joe Skibinski

One of the key initial features of the chassis is that it is significantly lighter than the current iteration of the DW-12 and has several new components designed to improve the racing and make the cars faster. For Rossi, there was something else that stood out immediately.

“Aesthetically, it ticks every box you could hope for,” he added. “I was blown away the first time I saw it. The pictures don’t do it justice. The presence it has in person is pretty amazing. It looks aggressive, and even with a completely new chassis, new aerodynamics, new electronics and a spec damper package, the baseline was very comfortable from the get-go. There’s obviously a lot more to unlock, but it was a great starting point.

“To be able to be a part of this next evolution of IndyCar and do it at IMS, a place that means so much to me and all of us here, is super cool. I get to play a small part in the history and the future of this championship, and that’s a big privilege. I enjoyed every minute of it.”

Following Rossi's successful run on the Saturday, Palou took the helm of the IR-28 on the Sunday as he completed 35 laps in damp conditions in an interrupted session.

The wet conditions limited Palou's running, with further delays including a telemetry issue and an alternator problem meant that Sunday's session ended early. Despite technical trouble, Palou was still full of praise for IndyCar's latest innovation after his first day in the car.

“The car feels a lot smoother, a lot more connected,” Palou said. “I wouldn’t say easier to drive, but it just feels like you don’t need to fight crazy with the car.”

The IR-28 is expected to be capable of beating several lap records, including on the IMS oval, something that Palou reflect on immediately following his first test.

“I don’t know, maybe I’m talking too early, but I think we’re going to break a lot of IndyCar records on all kinds of tracks. So, it just feels like it’s a faster car. It feels like it's a car that is more capable.”

Credit: James Black

Sunday's interrupted running meant that Palou returned to IMS on Tuesday in drier conditions to complete the full run plan, a day that ended up being completed without significant trouble, barring a repeat of the recurring alternator issue.

"It was good. "We got a lot more laps in. It was great to get some dry running and new tyres to see how this car really feels.

"The new car is awesome. It basically feels like the current car, but it's built better. Everything just feels refined. When you lean on it, all the shifts, everything just feels really good.

"It feels like more downforce, or at least more efficient downforce," he said. "The basics already feel a lot nicer than what we have now."

The purpose of this initial test was never to try and chase lap time, instead for Rossi and Palou to try to dial the car into a window to learn the behaviour of the chassis and provide Dallara and IndyCar valuable feedback ahead of further testing taking place.

That said, initial readings are quick.

Unofficial timings had Palou running a 1:10.5 in dry conditions, two tenths off Palou's pole time in the DW-12 this year and some 1.6 seconds faster than the race fastest lap that was also set by Palou this May, laying the benchmark for what is expected to be a record-breaking chassis.

And following Palou's second day of running, he was full of praise for the IR-28.

"Honestly, it already surpassed my expectations. When you look at it, it's very similar to our current car, but it actually feels a lot different. It feels like a completely different new car, which is great. I didn't expect that, so I'm already happy.

"Everybody is excited -- the drivers, the teams and especially the fans. But it's good that we have so much time to work on the car before we actually race it. It's important that we get it right and have a car that's good on speedways, street courses and road courses. We want to be able to race in the rain, too. It's important that we get everything right."

There's been no further confirmed tests for the IR-28, but IndyCar and IMS President Doug Boles has stated that the car will be back on at IMS following the 2026 season finale at Laguna Seca, where the chassis will conduct its first run around the iconic 2.5 mile (4.02 km) oval.