Now, that is how you test a brand-new racing machine. The NTT IndyCar SERIES development of the upcoming IR-28 car moved away from the silky-smooth asphalt of Indianapolis Motor Speedway and straight into the bumps and bruises of Sebring International Raceway.
Alexander Rossi, who drives full time for Chevrolet-powered ECR, took over testing duties Tuesday at the historic Florida circuit. The 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner put the car through a massive 134-lap run, following five-time and reigning series champion Alex Palou, a Honda-powered driver for Chip Ganassi Racing, who completed 43 laps Monday on Sebring’s outer loop. Palou and Rossi were chosen to handle testing duties at both IMS configurations and now at Sebring.
First of all, visually, it’s an incredible race car to look at,
Sebring is famous for its punishing surface and demanding mix of asphalt and concrete, making it the ultimate proving ground. As Rossi pointed out, it acts as a great preview for the street circuits that make up one-third of the schedule. "What’s good about this place is it’s the poorest-quality surface that you can have in a permanent road course," Rossi said. "It mimics a street course kind of. Because it’s a permanent road course, it gets used a lot, so it’s a higher grip level than a street course. In terms of bumps, pavement changes, difficult changes in the asphalt, that’s why everyone comes and tests here."
While initial sessions in August and September at Indianapolis focused on confirming that the car's basic systems functioned as expected, the Sebring test was all about practical application. Working alongside Dallara and IndyCar officials, the priority shifted to understanding how the package performs over an extended test on rough surfaces. "The messaging we get is run the car as if it’s your race car," Rossi said. "From there, we’ll see what issues, problems, surprises come out of that."
Driver feedback is central to this stage, particularly regarding cockpit comfort and the newly integrated cooling approach built right into the initial bodywork. Palou reported a significant improvement during Monday’s running, and Rossi experienced those exact benefits on Tuesday. "First of all, visually, it’s an incredible race car to look at," Rossi said. "It generates more grip in high-speed corners. It’s a very nice car to drive. It’s well-built and incredibly well-engineered. Cooling-wise, we made a pretty big step in this test, in particular. It’s night-and-day different in terms of comfort and drivability in the cockpit."
The IR-28 is slated to debut at the start of the 2028 NTT IndyCar SERIES season, leaving plenty of time to address concerns and validate improvements across different circuits. And if the drivers are already smiling, the fans have plenty to look forward to when the beast finally hits the grid.
