The Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. finally put IndyCars on track for its first practice session, and if the opening running is any indication, the series could be in for a particularly unpredictable race.
Kyle Kirkwood led Practice 1 with a 57.3744, followed by Álex Palou and rookie Dennis Hauger. David Malukas and Marcus Ericsson completed the top five, with Josef Newgarden, Kyffin Simpson, Alexander Rossi, Rinus VeeKay and Christian Rasmussen rounding out the top 10. But the timing sheet only tells part of the story. Kirkwood set his quickest lap on the alternate red tires, while Palou’s lap came on the primary black tires. That makes Palou’s P2 particularly notable and immediately puts the pair among the drivers to watch as the weekend progresses. The McLarens and another Andretti could also potentially enter the fight when everyone begins maximizing their qualifying packages.
Hauger’s third place was another result that stood out. This is a completely new circuit for the entire field, eliminating one of the experience advantages veterans normally carry into a race weekend. Putting a Dale Coyne Racing car third under those circumstances is an encouraging early indication of Hauger’s ability, even with the obvious caveat that this was only the opening practice session.
A Brutally Bumpy D.C. Circuit
More important than outright pace may be how the cars handle Washington’s surface.
The circuit looked extremely bumpy during Practice 1, particularly once drivers moved away from the conventional racing line. Cars were visibly being unsettled by bumps and pushed toward the walls, creating an obvious question ahead of the race: what happens when drivers no longer have the luxury of choosing the smoothest line? In practice, a driver can generally position the car where they want. In traffic, they may be forced onto parts of the circuit they would otherwise avoid. That could make this a race of attrition. Broken toe links could become a significant concern if cars repeatedly get launched across the roughest sections or make contact with the walls.
At the same time, the characteristics that could create chaos also raise questions about the quality of the racing itself. A surface that severely punishes going offline could make passing difficult if drivers cannot safely run side-by-side through certain sections. The Freedom 250 therefore has two very different potential outcomes staring at it after Practice 1: a chaotic race filled with incidents, or stretches where everyone is effectively forced onto the same usable line. The unusually high number of laps could add another almost oval-like element to the event. That means traffic, consistency and simply surviving the circuit could ultimately matter far more than the outright pace we saw in the opening session.
There was even some speculation that the engines sounded different, potentially because of gearing and how quickly they were revving. For now, however, the much more obvious difference compared with a typical IndyCar weekend is what the cars are being asked to endure underneath them.
RLL Immediately Struggles
If the bumps become one of the defining characteristics of the weekend, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing has reason to be concerned.
The team’s cars ended Practice 1 in 21st, 23rd and 25th. It is far too early to treat one practice session as definitive, but RLL’s performance was difficult to ignore. The team appears particularly vulnerable when IndyCar visits bumpy circuits, and Washington immediately seems to be exposing that weakness again. There is at least the possibility that the IR-28 era could eventually change that equation, with spec dampers potentially reducing one area where teams can find themselves badly out of the setup window. That doesn’t help RLL this weekend, though.
At the other end of the timing sheet, Rasmussen sneaking into 10th also attracted attention. If the race does take on some oval-like qualities because of its lap count, perhaps it shouldn’t be entirely surprising to see him looking more competitive here.
Schumacher’s Practice Pace Fuels More Silly Season Questions
The session also fed into the ongoing debate around Mick Schumacher’s future.
Schumacher again spent much of the session near the bottom, which makes the prospect of him replacing Felix Rosenqvist difficult for some to reconcile purely on performance. There is another side to the equation. Teams are heading toward a season in which they will need to purchase new IR-28 chassis, making funding especially valuable, and Schumacher has shown occasional flashes of speed, particularly on ovals. There is also a reasonable argument for giving him a full season with a healthy wrist before reaching a final verdict. But flashes alone are not necessarily enough. In a series where the machinery is relatively standardized, plenty of drivers can occasionally produce an impressive session. The distinction between occasionally being quick and becoming one of IndyCar’s stronger drivers is producing that pace consistently while avoiding weekends spent at the bottom of the order.
If Schumacher does make the expected move, that standard will ultimately matter far more than isolated flashes. The broader concern is that a Schumacher and Marcus Ericsson combination could leave the team looking decidedly midfield next season. For now, though, Washington provides another opportunity for Schumacher to change that conversation before any future lineup becomes relevant.
Elsewhere in the paddock, the possibility of an A.J. Foyt Racing pairing of Santino Ferrucci and Josh Pierson next season generated similarly muted enthusiasm. Such a lineup would struggle to inspire confidence among those hoping to see Foyt become a more consistent threat near the front.
The Freedom 250’s Commercial Importance Is Already Obvious
Perhaps the most interesting development away from the timing screens was who chose to be in Washington.
Zak Brown was on the McLaren pit wall rather than at the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort. Dan Towriss was also in Washington rather than attending the F1 weekend. Brown does skip some Formula 1 races for IndyCar during a season, so his presence shouldn’t be treated as unprecedented. But having major executives in Washington underlines something we have discussed throughout the build-up to the Freedom 250: whatever anyone thinks about the sporting merits or circumstances surrounding this race, its commercial importance is substantial. For many sponsors, Washington could arguably be the second-most-important IndyCar event behind the Indianapolis 500.
The location creates an unusual concentration of corporate and government connections, particularly for companies that either hold or pursue government contracts. Executives being present isn’t merely about watching cars race around Washington. An event like this creates opportunities for sponsor hospitality, dinners, meetings and potentially future deals. That visibility matters when determining whether a new race makes commercial sense. The Freedom 250 has attracted plenty of criticism during its build-up, and we previously discussed our own doubts before seeing the course construction firsthand and acknowledging that the event looked considerably more impressive on-site than expected. Practice 1 continued that shift.
Whatever reservations remain, it looks distinctive on television. Fans who approached the event skeptically could still appreciate seeing IndyCars somewhere completely different, and an unusual venue has the potential to expose the series to people who otherwise wouldn’t watch it. Ideally, some of that attention even carries into subsequent races such as Milwaukee. There has been some temptation on the broadcast side to elevate Washington alongside the Indianapolis 500, which is understandably a much harder comparison to accept. The Indy 500 occupies an entirely different place in the sport. Washington does not need to be the 500 to be valuable. Its sponsor visibility and novelty can stand on their own.
The scale of the surrounding spectacle could certainly be substantial, however, with discussion during Practice 1 indicating there will be seven total flyovers during the event.
Not Actually Washington’s First Auto Race
There was also some confusion surrounding descriptions of the event as Washington’s first auto race.
It is the first IndyCar race in the city, but Washington has hosted other forms of auto racing before. An American Le Mans Series race was held near RFK Stadium roughly 25 years ago, while Global Rallycross also raced in the RFK parking lot. Washington’s connection with automotive competition goes back much further still: an auto race was held in front of the White House in 1903, before the first Indianapolis 500.
The distinction matters. The Freedom 250 is unquestionably a first for IndyCar, but racing itself is not entirely new to the nation’s capital.
Practice Didn’t Exactly Begin Smoothly
Before anyone could start learning the new circuit, IndyCar had to get Practice 1 underway.
The session was placed on hold because of an issue involving the course marshal communication system. Rain was initially suspected by some watching the delayed broadcast, but the communication problem was the issue cited for the hold. The explanation itself took some time to reach viewers, adding frustration for those watching the broadcast. International viewers encountered another familiar problem later, with INDYCAR LIVE’s automatic cutoff occurring five minutes after the originally scheduled broadcast end time. Delays are particularly frustrating when a streaming service remains tied to the original program window rather than the actual on-track session.
Even the broadcast’s use of metric measurements became a source of amusement. Hearing fluid discussed by the liter at an American race prompted the obvious joking response that this is America — and if we’re going to use liters, apparently only two-liter bottles are acceptable.
Now We Find Out Whether Washington Produces Racing or Chaos
For all the conversation surrounding the Freedom 250 before cars ever reached the circuit, Practice 1 finally gave us something tangible to evaluate.
Kirkwood has the fastest lap. Palou may have produced the more ominous performance by getting within striking distance on the harder black tires. Hauger delivered one of the most impressive early results by putting a DCR car third. RLL appears to have a serious problem to solve. But the circuit itself may ultimately be the biggest story. The bumps are severe enough to throw cars toward the walls, particularly away from the preferred line. Once the field is racing rather than practicing, drivers will inevitably be forced into those areas while fighting for position and navigating traffic.
That could produce broken components, contact and a genuine race of attrition. Or it could make drivers reluctant to leave the racing line and turn portions of the Freedom 250 into a parade. After one practice, both possibilities seem entirely plausible. Either way, the skepticism that surrounded Washington hasn’t prevented the event from already feeling significant. Major executives are there, sponsors have an unusually valuable platform, the grandstands looked well populated in at least the Stars section, and IndyCar is racing against a backdrop unlike anything else on its schedule.
Now it just needs the circuit to deliver a race worthy of everything surrounding it.