Crashes And Quick.

During the first IndyCar practice session in St. Petersburg, Scott McLaughlin of Team Penske achieved the fastest time, while Scott Dixon of Chip Ganassi Racing crashed his car at Turn 9. Dixon described the incident as frustrating, noting that his car got loose on entry and he over-corrected, but he was fortunate that much of the speed was lost before hitting the wall.

Despite the crash, Dixon's car will not require a back-up for the race, and he finished the session in 15th place.

McLaughlin's fast time, 1:01.102s, placed him ahead of Felix Rosenqvist and Kyle Kirkwood. Kyffin Simpson was fourth, and Marcus Ericsson was fifth.

The session also experienced several red flag stoppages, including incidents involving Dennis Hauger, Alexander Rossi, Josef Newgarden, and Louis Foster.