– This week, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is hosting the official pre-test in preparation for the 110th edition of the Indianapolis 500, the highlight of the 2026 IndyCar season. The so-called Open Test on the 2.5-mile oval in Indianapolis, in which all 33 drivers registered for the Indy 500 (May 24) will participate, is scheduled for two days (Tuesday and Wednesday).
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An important part of these two-day test drives is the so-called “Rookie Orientation Program” (ROP), in which the rookies in the field must obtain approval for official Indy 500 driving operations (free practices, qualifying, race). The ROP was scheduled for two hours on Tuesday, the first of the two test days.
It was particularly exciting for the three full-time rookies in the 25-strong field of 2026 IndyCar regulars, namely Mick Schumacher, Dennis Hauger, Caio Collet. For all three, it was their first fast laps ever on the famous 2.5-mile oval on early Tuesday afternoon as part of the ROP.
Three Drivers Pass Rookie Program – Dennis Hauger Not Yet
The ROP is a mandatory acclimatization program on the Indianapolis oval, consisting of three stages. In Stage 1, the goal is to drive 10 laps each at an average speed of 205 to 210 miles per hour (mph) – no faster. Converted to kilometers per hour (km/h), an average between 229.8 and 337.9 km/h over 10 laps is required in this first stage (Phase 1).
Once Phase 1 has been successfully completed, it’s on to Phase 2. In this Stage 2, the goal is to complete 15 laps each at an average speed of 210 to 215 miles per hour (337.9 to 345.9 km/h) – no faster. Once Phase 2 has also been successfully passed, Phase 3 is the last on the agenda. In this Stage 3, the goal is to complete 15 laps each at an average of more than 215 miles per hour (at least 345.9 km/h).
For all three phases of the ROP, the following applies: The required laps do not have to be driven consecutively. However, in total, the prescribed number of laps must be completed within the corresponding speed window for each phase before the respective driver moves on to the next phase. This three-stage ROP has been mandatory for all Indy 500 rookies in this form for decades.
On Tuesday, under cloudy skies, both Caio Collet and Mick Schumacher successfully completed the three-stage rookie program as required. Dennis Hauger, the third full-time rookie in the field, has not yet completed Phase 3 within the allotted two hours. However, the Norwegian can still catch up on this later in the test. He has already passed Phase 1 and Phase 2.
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However, three drivers have already successfully completed all three required phases of the ROP. In addition to the full-time rookies in the 2026 IndyCar starting field, a fourth driver participated in this year’s ROP: Jacob Abel, who was one of the rookies in 2025 but failed to qualify for the Indy 500 while driving for Dale Coyne Racing. In May 2025, there were 34 entries for the season highlight. Abel was the only one who failed to clear the qualifying hurdle for the race.
Therefore, for Jacob Abel, Tuesday was not his first laps ever on the Indianapolis oval, unlike Mick Schumacher, Dennis Hauger, and Caio Collet. This year, Abel is entered behind the wheel of the Dallara-Chevrolet for the family-owned team – the Abel Motorsports racing stable led by his father Bill Abel. The car, which is only used at the Indy 500 and is currently still completely white, bears the starting number 51.
Veteran Session: Newgarden Ahead of Sato at the Top
Before the two-hour rookie program took place, the Indianapolis oval was open for two hours to the veterans in this year’s Indy 500 starting field (all 2026 IndyCar regulars with the exception of rookies). In this first session of the day, two-time Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden (Penske-Chevrolet) had set the fastest lap.
Newgarden’s average speed was 223.415 miles per hour (359.474 km/h). Converted to lap time, this means 40.283 seconds. The time was achieved with the help of a slipstream when all three Penske drivers were on track simultaneously and working together. Second fastest behind Newgarden was two-time Indy 500 winner Takuma Sato (Rahal-Honda), followed by Patricio “Pato” O’Ward (McLaren-Chevrolet).
In the afternoon, the Indianapolis oval will be available to all drivers until 6:00 PM local time (midnight CEST). This includes, in addition to the 2026 IndyCar regulars, those veterans for whom the Indy 500 on May 24 will be their first IndyCar race in a year and who have not tested on the Indianapolis oval since then. This group of drivers is referred to as “Refreshers”.
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Belonging to the “Refresher” group this year are: Ed Carpenter, Helio Castroneves, Jack Harvey, Ryan Hunter-Reay, and Katherine Legge, whose HMD/Foyt-Chevrolet with car number 11 was only confirmed this week as the 33rd entry for this year’s Indy 500. However, there were technical problems with this car on Tuesday, which is why Legge has not yet been able to participate in the driving operations of this year’s Indy 500 pre-test.
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