Indianapolis, Ind. — Alex Palou showcased his superiority by clinching the pole position for the Sonsio Grand Prix at the Indianapolis road course, establishing a commanding lead over his competitors. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver completed the 14-turn, 2.439-mile circuit in just 1 minute, 9.3417 seconds, achieving an average speed of 126.625 mph. His nearest rival, Graham Rahal, starts in second place, followed closely by rookie Louis Foster in third and Devlin DeFrancesco in fifth.
Palou, a three-time defending champion in the NTT IndyCar Series, effectively utilized a single set of new Firestone alternate tires to advance through the qualifying rounds. Although he faced a setback with a lock-up at Turn 1 during his session, he rebounded powerfully with a blistering last lap that left other drivers in his wake. Foster, fresh off his Indy NXT title, trailed Rahal by just 0.1285 seconds, demonstrating the impressive performance of the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing team.
Scott McLaughlin, who qualified fourth for Team Penske, faced substantial challenges earlier in practice, losing valuable time due to necessary rear suspension changes. His teammate, Josef Newgarden, will start in sixth after opting to conserve another set of alternate tires for the race, a strategy that may pay dividends on race day.
Palou’s performance was anticipated, but the prowess exhibited by Rahal’s team was unexpected. Six-time Indy GP polesitter Will Power found himself narrowly missing a spot in the Firestone Fast Six, finishing just 0.02 seconds behind McLaughlin. Power admitted that mishaps in Turns 12 and 13 cost him valuable time, and he finished only slightly ahead of Pato O’Ward, who struggled with his Arrow McLaren Chevrolet’s performance on the lengthy straights.
Among the notable competitors, Alexander Rossi, a previous winner at this venue, lined up ninth for Ed Carpenter Racing, alongside the emerging talent Kyffin Simpson of Chip Ganassi Racing. The sixth row will feature Santino Ferrucci of AJ Foyt Racing and Felix Rosenqvist, who performed well in the quicker Meyer Shank Racing Hondas.
The qualifying rounds saw some surprising eliminations. Colton Herta and Kyle Kirkwood, both driving for Andretti Global, ended up starting in the seventh and 11th rows, respectively. Herta expressed frustration over his lack of a solid handling balance, while Kirkwood felt that his earlier practice tire choices hindered his qualifying performance. Additionally, Marcus Armstrong from Meyer Shank Racing failed to advance.
With Group 2 of the qualifying session stacked with seasoned competitors, it was not unexpected that some fan-favorites would be left behind. The successful transfer of both DeFrancesco and Rahal alongside Palou and the three Penske drivers positioned them favorably, highlighting the rapid development of the Rahal team. Notably, Christian Lundgaard, who had podium finishes in the past three races, fell just short of making it to Q2, and Scott Dixon faced disappointment by finishing a substantial 0.45 seconds behind his teammate Palou. The struggles of Marcus Ericsson, who also did not advance, compounded the woes for Andretti Autosport.
As the teams prepare for the race, Palou’s performance sets a formidable tone, with several of his nearest competitors also striving to make their presence felt on race day. With qualifying concluded, fans eagerly await the start of the Sonsio Grand Prix, where strategy and skill will become crucial on the iconic Indianapolis road course.