Alex Palou and Alexander Rossi tested IndyCar's 2028 prototype at Indianapolis Motor Speedway's road course and left genuinely impressed with what the series has cooked up. Both drivers ran laps on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn layout and came away positive about the new machine's direction.
This is the first real-world evaluation of the next generation of IndyCar hardware, so driver feedback carries weight. Palou and Rossi aren't the type to oversell a test session. If they're raving, it means the engineers nailed something fundamental. The 2028 car represents a significant engineering shift for the series, and these initial impressions matter for how the rest of the driver roster will perceive it when they get their turns behind the wheel.
With a few years until actual race implementation, IndyCar has time to iterate based on this kind of feedback. But getting thumbs up from two competitive, experienced drivers right out of the box suggests the series is headed in the right direction. Palou especially carries credibility after his Chip Ganassi dominance and championship run. When he says something works, people listen.