Motorsport.com - Rossi on Condensed Schedules
Rossi, who took his first podium – indeed, first Top 10 – of the season in Sunday’s fourth round of the 2020 NTT IndyCar Series at Road America, said that ironing out all bugs and “finding limits” is often not possible before the crucial qualifying sessions and races.
Racing during this Covid-19 pandemic-blighted season has had a radical effect on IndyCar protocol. For instance, in order to keep teams on site en masse for as little time as possible at last weekend’s REV Group Grand Prix, despite it being a double-header weekend (another result of the pandemic), the schedule was quick-fire.
Between 75-minute practice and the qualifying session on Saturday there were just two hours, and barely more than that between qualifying and the race on both days. On Sunday there was no practice at all.
“I think in previous years, you had three practice sessions to kind of work through issues,” said Rossi. “If you have mechanical problems, they probably would show themselves way before you get to Sunday afternoon.
“If you're going to make a mistake, throw it off the track, probably do that before Sunday afternoon as well.
