Alexander Rossi became the first driver to get behind the wheel of IndyCar's new IR-28 chassis during a test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this past Saturday. The new car, designed with the Aeroscreen and hybrid system in mind, is slated for a full series debut in 2028.
Rossi, driving for Ed Carpenter Racing, completed laps on the IMS road course, providing an early assessment of the Dallara-built machine. "I’ve been a part of some new car launches before, and I can’t say that any have gone as smooth as this one has," Rossi stated, according to IndyCar.com. "That’s down to everyone involved. We’ve all been waiting for this for a long time."
Despite challenging weather conditions that limited his track time, Rossi expressed satisfaction with the shakedown's success. "The fact that the car is completely new and the only real issue we had was replacing one sensor is phenomenal. That’s a huge testament to Dallara, IndyCar and everyone involved," he said. "The car has a lot of incredible qualities that we haven’t even scratched the surface of yet. It was an incredible start and just a joy to drive."
The IR-28 marks IndyCar's first entirely new car platform since the DW12 chassis was introduced in 2012. It is expected to be approximately 100 pounds lighter than its predecessor. The ongoing development aims to integrate the latest safety and technological advancements into the series.
Reigning series champion Alex Palou is scheduled to test the IR-28 on Sunday at the same circuit. The smooth initial rollout suggests a promising trajectory for the development of the next generation of IndyCar machinery.