Racing Roundup: William Byron Wins Pole, Hamilton Shocks in F1, Newgarden Leads IndyCar Test at Sebring

Yesterday in Auto Racing: March 20, 2025

NASCAR, IndyCar, and Formula 1 all saw significant action yesterday, giving racing fans plenty to discuss. Let's dive into the highlights:

NASCAR:
At Phoenix Raceway, practice and qualifying sessions set the stage for this weekend's Cup Series race. William Byron secured pole position with a blistering lap of 26.93 seconds, edging out Joey Logano by just 0.098 seconds. Carson Hocevar impressed in third, continuing his strong rookie campaign[11].

In the practice session, Christopher Bell topped the timesheets, followed closely by Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott. Several drivers reported improved grip levels due to recent track modifications[10].

The Xfinity Series also held practice, with John Hunter Nemechek setting the pace. A brief red flag period occurred when Riley Herbst spun in Turn 2, but he avoided contact with the wall[10].

IndyCar:
The series conducted its final pre-season test at Sebring International Raceway. Josef Newgarden led the way, showcasing Penske's impressive pace heading into the season opener. Rookies Christian Lundgaard and Callum Ilott both impressed, finishing in the top 10[10].

A notable incident involved Romain Grosjean, who suffered a mechanical failure that sent him into the tire barriers. He was unhurt, but his Dale Coyne Racing team faces a tight turnaround to repair the car before the first race[10].

Formula 1:
The Chinese Grand Prix weekend kicked off with Free Practice 1. Lando Norris set the fastest time for McLaren, narrowly beating out Max Verstappen's Red Bull. Ferrari showed promising pace with Charles Leclerc in third[15].

The big story, however, came in Sprint Qualifying. Lewis Hamilton stunned the field by taking pole position for Saturday's Sprint race, edging out Verstappen by just 0.018 seconds. Oscar Piastri continued McLaren's strong showing in third[15][6].

"The car felt incredible out there," Hamilton said after qualifying. "We've made some big steps forward, and I can't wait to see what we can do in the Sprint and the Grand Prix."[15]

Rookie Kimi Antonelli impressed for Mercedes, qualifying seventh in only his third F1 weekend. Meanwhile, Red Bull's Liam Lawson struggled, finishing last after a track limits violation on his final lap[15].

Looking Ahead:
Today will see more practice sessions for NASCAR at Phoenix, while F1 gears up for the Sprint race in China. IndyCar teams are making final preparations for next week's season opener in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Stay tuned for more excitement as the weekend unfolds across all three major racing series!