Andretti's Kyle Kirkwood calls out IndyCar rivals for 'unsportsmanlike' conduct at Indy 500 test

Andretti Global star Kyle Kirkwood recently came out and detailed the difficulties in getting a clear lap during the Indy 500 open test for most drivers. The 2025 Long Beach GP winner called out the rival teams and drivers for the same unsportsmanlike behaviour at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The Indy 500 test was divided into multiple sessions, including the boost session and the open test. The boost session stimulated the qualifying run, whereas the open session was used to get data for the race run. While running traffic behind other cars is optimal for a race run, the same is not the case with qualifying.

AUTO: MAY 26 INDYCAR Series The 107th Indianapolis 500 - Source: Getty

For the Indy 500 qualifying, the cars are out on the track one at a time and get a clear track ahead of them. However, many drivers weren't able to stimulate the same during the boost session. Kyle Kirkwood came out and detailed the same, and slammed the rivals for getting out on the track as soon as the others were on track.

Kyle Kirkwood was questioned on whether he was able to get a non-tow lap in, to which he replied,

“Yeah, I mean, sometimes we don't know what people are thinking out there, if I'm being honest. Cars go out. There's no cars on track. There goes one guy right in front of the next.”

“Some people aren't thinking. I don't know if they do it on purpose or they generally don't know. It can get very annoying. We actually had clean runs. Watching it out there, doesn't seem very sportsmanlike,” added Kyle Kirkwood

While the tow increases the top speed, it also causes the cars to lose downforce in the corners, making it harder for teams to judge the optimal levels of wings for qualifying, and also messing with the data, which would've been different had the track been clear.

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Kyle Kirkwood detailed how the qualifying simulation with the hybrid power unit was “much harder.”

IndyCar introduced the hybrid power unit last year but decided not to run it at the Indy 500. The open test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway was the first time that drivers took the new power unit around the 2.5-mile oval. Kyle Kirkwood revealed that the qualifying simulation laps were much harder with the added weight from batteries and motors.

“We've always gotten to a point everybody has where you, where you get to a Tremo that's not very efficient when the wing starts going negative. And you saw guys put it in the wall today and that was just because it's hard to drive now. Qualifying sims at the level that we did now compared to last year were much, much harder,” said Kirkwood

The hybrid power units have not only made it expensive for the teams to run an entry, but have also added 100 lbs to the car.