– The highly anticipated debut of the IndyCar series on the new street circuit in Markham has suffered a major setback. Due to significant delays in the track construction, the organizers have to postpone the first practice session on Friday indefinitely. (All info about the IndyCar weekend in Markham)
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Update 2, 23:50: All sessions for Friday are cancelled. The first practice will now take place on Saturday at 4:00 PM CEST – provided the track is completed by then. New schedule for Saturday (all times CEST):
4:00 PM: 1st Free Practice
8:30 PM: 2nd Free Practice
12:30 AM (Sunday): Qualifying
Update 1, 9:15 PM: The organizer has now scheduled the first practice for 6:00 PM, i.e. midnight CEST. It remains to be seen if the track will be race-ready by then.
The organizer Green Savoree Race Promotions was unable to complete the temporary street circuit on time. Among other things, functional bridge structures, safety catch fences, and the essential cable connections for timing – including approval by the IndyCar series – are still missing.
Signs of the impending chaos were already evident on Thursday: The traditional track walk for drivers and engineers had to be cancelled and postponed to early Friday morning.
The drivers finally inspected the layout amid construction noise, while workers around them continued building under high pressure. Additionally, the teams were instructed by the series to start setting up the double-sided pit lane only late Thursday afternoon.
Read more Course not finished! IndyCar weekend in Markham paused
On Friday morning, the support series were actually supposed to go on track at 8:00 AM local time – but not a single car could roll out. In the afternoon, the racing series finally pulled the emergency brake and officially cancelled the 1st Free Practice of the IndyCar series scheduled for 3:05 PM local time (9:05 PM CEST).
In a statement on social media, the racing series said: “While preparations on the Streets of Markham track continue, the 1st Free Practice of the NTT IndyCar Series scheduled for today at 3:05 PM local time is suspended for the time being.”
“As soon as the organizer has completed the track construction and INDYCAR has deemed the course safe and suitable for competition, the first session of the weekend will begin. Further updates will follow during the afternoon.”
The event actually marks a major transformation for the series’ Canada race: The move to Markham replaced the traditional Grand Prix at Exhibition Place in Toronto, which had been firmly established on the calendar since the 1980s.
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The new 3.52-kilometer circuit in the east of downtown Markham features 12 corners, short straights, heavy braking zones, and an unusual double-sided pit lane. Currently, those responsible are working around the clock to complete the safety installations so that racing can begin. Further schedule adjustments are considered inevitable.
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