GRIPPING UP IN CALIFORNIA

Extreme heat on Friday – ambient nudging toward 100F, and track temp at 130F – left many drivers puzzled as to why they were able to turn track-record threatening times. Running exclusively on primary tyres – Firestone’s harder, more durable but less grippy compound – drivers were able to eclipse Colton Herta’s best time from FP1 at last year’s overcast finale by a gnat’s over two seconds. Some cited new sealant at certain corners as the reason for the improvement, others gave credit to Firestone’s improved street-course tyre compound, while still more attributed it to IMSA’S

Michelin rubber on corner exit also working well with the sealant and providing improved traction for Indycar’s Firestones.

Whatever the case, it was clear that Helio Castroneves’s qualifying record from 2017 would be under threat, especially if the temperature sank to 75F on Saturday. The Brazilian’s current team-mate at Meyer Shank Racing-honda, Simon Pagenaud, set the pace on Friday and should have started in the first couple of rows but got held up by Scott Mclaughlin in Q2. On Friday he said: “A lot of it is how the tyres are going to suit the track, how hot the track is… When it’s colder, the tyre actually doesn’t overheat and produces more grip for you and the downforce works better also.”

The ambient temperature did indeed drop to 75F on Saturday and, despite Castroneves setting his benchmark when Indycars ran with downforce-drenched manufacturer aerokits, Herta improved the qualifying record by around 0.9s.

Oddly, race day’s even lower temperatures – 67F peak – didn’t help keep the Firestone reds intact, so another layer of mystery was added to tyre performance on Indycar’s temporary tracks.