2026 Indy NXT Indy GP | Race 1 results

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Race 1 and round 5 of the 2026 Indy NXT season at the Indy GP has been completed, view the full results below.

For the third consecutive race, Alessandro de Tullio started on pole and had Max Taylor on the front row with him. Following a tough start to the year, Lochie Hughes had a strong qualifying and placed himself P3 on the grid. Championship leader Nikita Johnson went off from P5.

It was an extraordinary start. Polesitter Alessandro de Tullio locked up, heading down the run-off and falling outside the top 10. Lochie Hughes got ahead of Max Taylor.

More drama was to follow. Max Garcia got tagged into a spin by a combination of de Alba and Rowe.

At turn 12, Murray tagged Nannini into a spin and was eventually penalised. In a separate incident, Johnson ran Kucharczyk on the grass and both lost positions.

On lap 5, James Roe spun as he had nowhere to go in a Garcia and Nannini sandwich.

The top 10 at this point was Hughes, Taylor, Pierson, Fittipaldi, Escotto, Missig, Kucharczyk, de Tullio, Rowe and Murray. The polesitter had surged through following that error into turn 1.

In the fight for 5th, Missig cleared Escotto. At the start of the tenth lap, Fittipaldi got Pierson for 3rd, while Johnson overtook Murray for P10.

Rain finally arrives and the red flag comes out

As the rain started to fall, the caution came out on lap 11. The red flag then appeared because of the conditions and everyone swtiched to wets. Indy NXT do not normally have live pit stops, unless it is for damage.

Kaminsky dropped to the back with a penalty as his crew took over five minutes to get the tyres changed.

From P6, Escotto was nowhere in the wet and quickly fell outside the top 10. Max Taylor also had a bad last corner to restart, getting passed by Fittipaldi and Pierson. Kucharczyk cleared Missig for P5.

10th on the restart, Nikita Johnson passed Escotto, Rowe, de Tullio, Missig, Taylor and Pierson to run in 4th with 10 minutes left. Kucharczyk had vaulted into P3 after passing the #28 and #29 Andretti cars.

Chip Ganassi Racing drivers Niels Koolen and James Roe stormed through in the wet to get up to 7th and 10th.

Fittipaldi strikes

Into the final six minutes, Fittipaldi and Hughes got into it for the lead. Having fended off the Brazilian into turns 1 and 4, the Australian eventually had to give it up through turn 7 as the #87 made a beautiful pass. The #26 tried an ambitious move back at turn 8 a tour later but ended up on the grass.

Behind them, Johnson had passed Kucharczyk for 3rd place as the points leader delivered an outstanding comeback.

A late caution ultimately brought the race to a close as Bryce Aron stopped out on track when he was P11. Fittipaldi beat Hughes and Johnson in a brilliant race in the rain.