Rahal Set the Sixth Fastest Time in Opening Practice for the Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey; Foster and Schumacher 13th and 15th

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey

NTT INDYCAR SERIES

PRACTICE NOTES / QUOTES – September 4, 2026

RAHAL SET THE SIXTH FASTEST TIME IN OPENING PRACTICE FOR THE MISSION FOODS GRAND PRIX OF MONTEREY; FOSTER AND SCHUMACHER 13TH AND 15TH

1) Alex Palou 1:09.8994 / 115.263 mph

6) Graham Rahal 1:10.4596 / 114.346 mph

13) Louis Foster 1:10.7809 / 113.827 mph

15) Mick Schumacher 1:10.8378 / 113.736 mph

GRAHAM RAHAL, No. 15 Ship Station Global Dallara/Honda/Firestone: “Practice 1 was alright. It’s so hard out there because the tire degradation is so high that the blacks (primary Firestone tires) really don’t have much grip. You’re using basically one tire on all the road courses all year. They work great at some and at others it’s a little more challenging. It’s the same for everybody but it’s hard to get a grasp on that. And then on the reds (alternate tires), it’s a one lap tire, and for me, I think I did okay with it but I think I left some on the table in Turn 3 and a little bit in Turn 4 but we’re talking about a half a tenth or maybe a tenth or two combined. We’re not talking about much. I think we ended up around P7 on the overall sheet so it’s not terrible. We’ve got a little work to do overnight, and we’ll see how we come out tomorrow.”

FAST FACTS: The 2026 race will mark the seventh for Graham Rahal at the track. After some competitive runs on road and street courses this season, Rahal is hoping to end the season on a high at Laguna Seca. In his six races here, his best start is eighth in 2019, and best finish is fourth in 2021. Race-by-race statistics are available upon request. He earned three podiums on road and street courses the first half of the season and hopes to return to that form for the season finale. Has SIX INDYCAR SERIES wins (2008 – St. Pete street course; 2015 – Fontana Super Speedway, Mid-Ohio road course; 2016 – Texas Super Speedway; 2017 Detroit Race 1, Detroit Race 2) and FIVE poles (2009 – St. Pete street course, Kansas oval; 2017 – Detroit Race 1 street; 2023 – IMS road/August, Portland road)… He is 15th in series point standings with a total of 291.

LOUIS FOSTER, No. 45 Desnuda Organic Tequila Dallara/Honda/Firestone: “There are a couple of guys at the top of the field that have got a big gap to the rest of the field right now, pace wise. The car felt okay today. There is low hanging fruit to pick up here and there to gain some time. I wasn’t super comfortable in the car but as a weekend start, it’s not our best but not our worst. It’s kind of in the middle but we’ll see what we can do overnight to work on that. It’s all very close between like P20 and P3 and then the first two are just miles down the road currently. I’m sure if we can find a few tenths here or there that will help a lot, Graham seemed to have a really good session there, so hopefully he’s learned something and we can learn from that.”

FAST FACTS: Having recently added a street course pole in Markham to the one he earned last season on the Road America road course, Foster is looking forward to returning to Laguna Seca. Last year he qualified ninth in his INDYCAR rookie season but struggled with race pace and he ultimately finished 17th so he is looking forward to the opportunity to better that mark. He competed here four times in the INDY NXT Series where he won both NXT races in 2024 from pole. In his first two NXT races here in 2023, he qualified sixth and finished 18th in Race 1 and turned that into a podium performance with a third-place finish from a third place start in Race 2. A strong performance at Laguna Seca would be a great way to enter the off-season. He is ranked 23rd in the point standings with 159.

MICK SCHUMACHER, No. 47 NEREUS™ Dallara/Honda/Firestone: “The track was pretty different from how it was at the test. It seemed like lower grip. We had a couple of issues on the setup side so we’re going to clean that up and hopefully have a better starting point for tomorrow.”

FAST FACTS: Although this will be the first race for Mick at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, he tested there July 30th. His best start on a road or street course is 11th place in Markham (street course) and his best finishes are eighth place on the Nashville oval and 11th on the streets of Washington, D.C. He plans to continue the momentum he has been building since the start of the season and end on a high note. He is 18 points behind Rookie of the Year points leader Dennis Hauger (223-205). Caio Collet isn’t far behind with 193… He is 23rd in series point standings with 205 points.

RAHAL LETTERMAN LANIGAN RACING AT THEIR WINNINGEST TRACK

The 2026 Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey will mark the 19th Indy car event for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL) at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and sixth here since 12 consecutive races at the track from 1992-2003. The team has also competed in ALMS and IMSA races here from 2009-2025 as BMW M Team RLL and has earned three wins, five poles and a total of 11 podium finishes – including a second-place finish from pole in 2019. The Indy car team has earned three wins, three poles and a total of six podiums (1st – Herta 1998-1999; Papis 2001; 2nd – Herta 1996; 3rd: B. Rahal 1992, Papis 1999) including three straight pole positions (Herta 1997-1999).

NEXT UP: Practice 2 will take place tomorrow from 10:05-11:25 a.m. PT and qualifying will take place from 1:35-2:55 p.m. PT. The final practice session is 5:10-5:40 p.m. PT. Timing and Scoring information and live streaming video are also available for all sessions from www.indycar.com and includes live commentary. The Mission Foods Grand Prix of Monterey will be televised live on FOX beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET Sunday, September 6.