Fresh from the Race of Champions, Felix is trading the snow and ice of Piteå for southern California this week as the NTT INDYCAR SERIES field converges for an official two-day pre-season test.
The test will coincide with INDYCAR’s first-ever appearance at The Thermal Club, a private facility opened in 2012 in Thermal, just outside Palm Springs. Running will play out on an INDYCAR-specific 17-turn, 2.9-mile layout of the track, combining the North and South Palm circuits.
Taking place across Thursday and Friday, the test marks the first collective outing for the field since last year’s season-finale at Laguna Seca. It will also see Felix making his first runs in the #6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, swapping away from the #7 used in the previous two years.
“I’m super excited to finally be back on track with the team,” says Felix. “It’s been way too long. I haven’t driven the car since September, so I’m sure there will be some cobwebs. We’re all thrilled to be out here in Palm Springs and we have a number of items to test over these two days. It’s a brand new track for everyone, too, so plenty to get our heads around, but hopefully we can have a pair of productive days and get everything up to speed.”
The on-track action is preceded by two INDYCAR Content Days, featuring a host of media activities and interviews in the build-up to the new season.
The test can be followed through INDYCAR’s digital channels, with live timing available on both days on the INDYCAR Mobile App and racecontrol.indycar.com.
Time table
INDYCAR Open Test – The Thermal Club
Local time (U.S. Pacific)
Thursday 2 February
Session 1: 9:00-11:30 am
Session 2: 1:30-4:30 pm
Friday 3 February
Session 1: 9:00-11:30 am
Session 2: 1:00-4:30 pm
