Felipe Drugovich completes first IndyCar test with Chip Ganassi Racing at Barber Motorsports Park.
The major milestone not only marks the 2022 FIA Formula 2 World Champion’s entry into the competitive world of IndyCar but also highlights the ongoing evolution of his racing career, which has included roles as a Formula 1 test and reserve driver for Aston Martin alongside endurance racing commitments.
On Monday, Drugovich took to the track in the No. 11 Chip Ganassi Racing car where he quickly showcased his potential by clocking an unofficial best lap time of 1 minute 7.631 seconds after completing a total of 129 laps during the test session.
His early laps were marked by a time of 1 minute 8.017 seconds, which he improved significantly as he settled into the car and adapted to the demands of the IndyCar Series. As a point of comparison, Ganassi’s reigning champion Alex Palou set a marker of 1m07.9s using the hybrid car at a previous test.
The opportunity for Felipe Drugovich to test with Chip Ganassi Racing was not merely a chance encounter; it was a culmination of prior engagements and mutual respect.
“It was a great day,” Drugovich told RACER. “Just getting to know the car, getting used to how the car feels, which is, I can say, pretty different to anything I’ve ever driven.
“Not in a bad way – it’s just quite different. The steering feel, and tires and engine. It took a few runs to get used to it, and the whole day went pretty well.
“In the afternoon, we went through more sets of tires just to get a few reads on some setup changes that they wanted to do, and everything went well. We managed to manage to test quite a few things, and I enjoyed it. That’s the most important thing.”
Chris Simmons, performance director at Chip Ganassi Racing, praised Drugovich’s adaptability and physical conditioning throughout the testing session.
“He did a great job for us timing,” Simmons said. “He was quite competitive.
“It’s one of the most physical tracks to go to, and Felipe looked like he could do another 100 laps on top of 100-plus he already did. Says a lot about his fitness.
“You never know what you’re going to get on an evaluation day, but luckily, his feedback was good and he was up to speed pretty quickly, so we’re able to run through some test items, some things that were probably good for him to feel, and some things for us to try out.
“We learned a little bit for ourselves and hopefully a little bit for Honda, and certainly got some good info on Mr. Drugovich for the future.”
Besides Drugovich’s strong performance, Jamie Chadwick, a three-time W Series champion and fellow rookie in IndyCar also participated in the test session. She recorded her best lap time at 1 minute 8.687 seconds after initially struggling to find her rhythm.
Andretti’s chief IndyCar engineer Craig Hampson oversaw Chadwick’s test and was clearly impressed with the Briton.
“You can tell she’s way ahead of the car,” Hampson said. “She knows exactly what it’s doing. Feedback is excellent.
“Knows what she wants out of the car, so she can guide the engineers to make changes, to try and make it more to her liking.
“We were able to get through some test items for the team. We were definitely able to get through a bunch of test items for Honda. So that was all very productive.”
With Chip Ganassi Racing downsizing from five cars to three for the upcoming season, opportunities for new drivers are limited.
Currently confirmed drivers include Scott Dixon and reigning champion Alex Palou, leaving minimal room for newcomers like Drugovich unless unforeseen circumstances arise.
