Alex Palou takes second career Indianapolis 500 pole

SPEEDWAY, Ind. — Defending Indianapolis 500 champion Alex Palou took his second career pole position for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” and will lead the field to green next Sunday in the NTT IndyCar Series’ premier crown-jewel event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The Chip Ganassi Racing driver topped the charts with a condensed qualifying schedule on Sunday afternoon, due to Saturday’s qualifying session getting rained out. Palou will share the front row with Ed Carpenter Racing’s Alexander Rossi and Team Penske’s David Malukas in second and third, respectively.

This marked Palou’s 15th career IndyCar pole and second Indy 500 pole since 2023. When asked about his excitement for the Indy 500, Palou explained why taking the pole for the biggest race in the world was such a big deal.

“Yeah, I think pole is huge,” Palou said, “The emotion, the momentum and everything that comes with it, it’s incredible, but it’s totally different to the race. Like, that doesn’t guarantee us to having an easier race. It guarantees us to have the best view heading into the first corner, but that’s about it.

“We need to do — we need to work hard to try and keep ourselves up there and be at the front when it matters. But, yeah, I think the race is going to be a totally different scenario to what we saw today.”

Round 1

Scott Dixon was the first driver to set an average lap speed with a warm-up speed of 221.230 mph. Then, the Chip Ganassi Racing driver deployed his hybrid power on his fourth and final lap to set an average speed of 230.661 mph. 

Sonsio Grand Prix winner Christian Lundgaard was the second driver to set an average speed at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Arrow McLaren driver slid below Dixon with an overall average speed of 230.661 mph. Lundgaard’s teammate, Ryan Hunter-Reay, set his average speed. The 2014 Indy 500 champion stayed within 230 mph during all four qualifying laps and finished under Lundgaard, with a 230.202 mph average speed. 

Ed Carpenter headed to the track as he tracked to take the top spot from Dixon in his first two laps. However, the owner/driver went high in Turn 2, thus slowing down on Lap 3. Carpenter was the second-fastest at the time, with an average speed of 230.829 mph.

VeeKay topped the charts

Rinus VeeKay was the fifth driver out, setting the fastest Lap 1 average speed with a 232.202 mph run. The Juncos Hollinger Racing driver tried a different hybrid strategy, deploying his hybrid energy throughout his qualifying run. The Dutchman topped the charts with an average speed of 231.591 mph. 

Scott McLaughlin made it to the track to set a first average speed of 232.403 mph, as he tracked to overtake VeeKay’s fastest average speed. The Team Penske driver was faster than VeeKay, setting an average speed of 231.623 mph. 

Arrow McLaren’s Nolan Siegel’s first lap speed was 229.955 mph. He slightly improved over his following laps; however, the 21-year-old slid in between his teammates to sixth place with an average speed of 230.213 mph. 

Graham Rahal started his run with an average first lap speed of 229.720 mph, then improved by four tenths of a second on Lap 2. However, Rahal slipped into the 228 mph mark for his last two laps, finishing last in eighth place with an average speed of 229.017 mph

Two-time Indy 500 champion Josef Newgarden headed to the track as he started his qualifying run with a Lap 1 average speed of 230.474 mph. The Team Penske driver was not able to go toe-to-toe with teammate McLaughlin as the American finished eighth fastest with an average speed of 230.165 mph. 

Will Power headed onto the 2.5-mile Indiana track with radio issues. The Andretti Global driver stayed in the 230 mph range throughout his run to finish in sixth place with an average speed of 230.279 mph. 

Rosenqvist showing speed

Felix Rosenqvist started with a fast first lap of 232.984 mph. Then, the Meyer Shank Racing driver went fastest with an average lap speed of 232.599 mph. 

AJ Foyt Racing’s Santino Ferrucci headed out with a first average speed of 231.118 mph. He stayed around the 231 mph mark as he finished fifth fastest with a 231.224 mph average speed. 

Marcus Ericsson started his run with a 231.433 average first lap speed, as he stayed within the 230 mph range during his last three laps. The Andrettin Global driver finished seventh with an average speed of 230.667 mph. 

Conor Daly started his qualifying attempt with a first lap average speed of 231.798 mph. He trended to go second fastest, going slightly ahead of Scott McLaughlin. The Dreyer & Reinbold driver finished second fastest with an average speed of 231.744 mph

Schumacher’s first Indy 500 Qualifying

Mick Schumacher headed out on track for his first Indianapolis 500 qualifying session, as he stayed consistent in the 229 mph range. The German driver was faster than his Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing teammate, Graham Rahal, who finished outside of the Top 12 with an overall average speed of 229.450 mph.

Romain Grosjean started his run with an average first lap speed of 230.281 mph. The Dale Coyne Racing driver trended outside of the Top 12 throughout his qualifying run as he finished 14th fastest with an average speed of 229.791 mph. 

Meyer Shank Racing driver Marcus Armstrong started his qualifying run with an average first lap speed of 231.020 mph. The Kiwi driver finished with an average speed of 230.701 mph.

Pato O’Ward headed out to the track as he started with an average first lap of 231.338 mph. The Mexican driver stayed in the 231 mph range for the rest of his qualifying laps. He finished his qualifying run in sixth place with an average speed of 231.248 mph.

Malukas sets a great average speed

David Malukas made it to the track and set a great first average lap speed of 232.034 mph, as he strategically used his hybrid power. The Team Penske driver trended toward second place as he stayed within the 231 mph on Laps 2 and 3. Malukas ultimately finished second with an average speed of 231.813 mph, making him the top Penske driver. 

2016 Indy 500 champion, Alexander Rossi, started with a great first lap with an average speed of 232.193 mph. The Ed Carpenter Racing driver stayed within the 231 mph throughout his last laps as he finished in sixth with an average speed of 231.591 mph. 

Dennis Hauger headed out for his first Indianapolis 500 qualifying run as he started his first lap with an average speed of 229.237. The Dale Coyne Racing rookie finished outside the Top 12 in 21st with an average speed of 228.982 mph. 

Juncos Hollinger Racing driver Sting Ray Robb started his run with a first lap average speed of 229.649 mph. He did not improve over his last three laps as he finished 22nd with an average speed of 226.572 mph

Kyle Kirkwood set his first lap with an average speed of 230.087 mph. The Andretti Global driver finished outside of the Top 12 and finished 19th fastest with an average speed of 229.607 mph. 

Collet excels in qualifying until penalty strikes

AJ Foyt Racing’s Caio Collet started his first Indianapolis 500 qualifying run with an average first lap speed of 231.729 mph. The rookie driver trended to finish seventh as he started his final qualifying lap. The Brazilian ultimately finished above the Top 12 in seventh with an average speed of 231.419 mph.

Collet was followed by his fellow countryman, Helio Castroneves. The four-time Indy 500 champion started off his qualifying run with a first lap average of 231.158 mph. Castroneves finished 12th fastest at the time, just shy of the cutoff line with an average lap speed of 230.811 mph. 

However, hours after qualifying, IndyCar Officiating announced that Collet’s No. 4 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet and Jack Harvey’s No. 24 Dreyer & Reinbold Chevrolet failed post-qualifying technical inspection.

Both cars were found with modifications to the Dallara-supplied Energy Management System (EMS) covers and cover-to-A-arm mounting points with unapproved hardware. According to the IndyCar’s rulebook,  the EMS covers must be used as supplied.

As a result, Collet and Harvey’s qualifying times were disallowed, and they will be sent to the rear of the field of 33 for next Sunday’s 110th Indy 500. They will also forfeit their pit selections and select their pit boxes after the rest of the field gets to decide.

Temperatures rise at IMS

Two-time Indy 500 champion, Takuma Sato, headed out for his qualifying attempt as the track temperature started to rise at the 2.5-mile Speedway. The Japanese driver finished his first lap with an average speed of 231.901 mph. He was looking to finish 11th fastest as he started his last lap.

Sato ultimately finished in the Top 12 in 11th with an average lap speed of 230.995 mph. 

Christian Rasmussen started his qualifying run with a first lap average speed of 231.273 mph. The Ed Carpenter Racing driver finished 14th fastest with an average lap speed of 230.705 mph. 

Louis Foster headed out for his qualifying run with a first lap average speed of 231.023 mph. The British driver trended to finish outside of the Top 12 as he finished 20th with an average lap speed of 230.212 mph.

Kyffin Simpson started his qualifying run with an average first lap speed of 231.970 mph. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver got into the Top 12 as he finished 11th fastest with an average speed of 231.095 mph. 

Dreyer & Reinbold’s Jack Harvey headed out for his qualifying run with a first lap average speed of 229.889 mph. The British driver stayed within the 229 mph range, thus trending outside of the Top 12. Harvey finished in 27th fastest with an average speed of 229.207 mph. 

Palou heads out

Last year’s Indianapolis 500 champion, Alex Palou, headed out with a first lap average speed of 231.491 mph. Palou stayed within the 231 mph window on his second lap, as he trended towards Takuma Sato’s speed. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver finished in the Top 12 in 11th with an average speed of 231.155 mph. 

Jacob Abel is the second-to-last qualifier with a first lap average speed of 299.068 mph. He stayed within the 228 mph mark on the final three laps as he slid into 31st with an average speed of 228.169. mph.

Katherine Legge was the last qualifier as she attempts “The Double,” competing in the NTT IndyCar Series’ Indy 500 and the NASCAR Cup Series’ Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. Legge started her run with a first lap average speed of 230.398 mph. The British driver trended outside of the Top 12 and qualified 27th with an average speed of 229.456 mph.

Felix Rosenqvist, David Malukas, Conor Daly, Scott McLaughlin, Rinus VeeKay, Alexander Rossi, Caio Collet, Scott Dixon, Pato O’Ward, Santino Ferrucci, Palou and Kyffin Simpson advanced to Top 12 qualifying.

Top 12 Qualifying

Kyffin Simpson was the first car out during Top 12 qualifying. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver’s first lap average speed was 231.060 mph, then remained constant into Lap 2. The 21-year-old set the pace with an average lap speed of 230.883 mph.

Championship leader Alex Palou headed to the track as he set a speed of 222.367 mph during his warm-up lap. The Spaniard’s first lap average speed was 232.056 mph as Palou remained in the 231 mph range for his last three laps. Palou qualified higher than his teammate Simpson, with an average speed of 231.665 mph.

Ferrucci started his Top 12 qualifying run with a first lap average speed of 231.237 mph. He remained in the 231 mph range during his second lap but dipped into the 230 mph range on his last two laps. Ferrucci finished third with an average lap speed of 230.883 mph.

Pato O’Ward had a first lap average speed of 231.247 mph. As O’Ward trended to finish second, the Mexican driver remained consistent in the 231 mph range. He finished third with an average speed of 231.088 mph.

Dixon heads out for Top 12 qualifying

Scott Dixon started his Top 12 qualifying with a first lap average speed of 230.853 mph. The six-time IndyCar champion remained within 230 mph on Laps 2 and 3 and set a 229.983 mph average speed on his last lap. Dixon finished last in fifth with an average speed of 230.347 mph.

Caio Collet was the only rookie to enter the Top 12 as he set a first average lap speed of 231.858 mph, trending close to Alex Palou’s lead. His second lap average speed was 231.090 mph and subsequently trailed to the 229 mark on Laps 3 and 4. Collet finished fifth with an average lap speed of 230.539 mph.

Alexander Rossi was next to set an average speed in the Top 12. His first lap average speed was 231.624 mph, then he set a 230.660 mph average speed. Rossi remained in the 230 mph mark in his last two laps, as he finished fourth with an average speed of 231.005 mph.

Rinus VeeKay headed out to the track as he set a first lap average speed of 232.128 mph, the fastest first lap average speed in the Top 12. The Dutch driver finished his second lap with a 230.344 mph average lap speed, then slowed down in his final two laps. VeeKay ultimately finished eighth and last with an average speed of 229.585 mph.

Scott McLaughlin set his first lap average speed of 231.880 mph. The Team Penske driver remained in the 231 mph mark on his second lap, and the 229 mph mark on his last two laps. McLaughlin kicked Collet out of the Firestone Fast Six, finishing sixth fastest with an average speed of 230.577 mph.

McLaughlin out of qualifying

Conor Daly was the next driver to qualify for the Firestone Fast Six, setting a first lap average speed of 231.063 mph. The native of Noblesville, Indiana, had an average speed on the second lap of 231.242 mph and was in the 230 mph range in the last two laps. He ultimately finished sixth, knocking Scott McLaughlin out of the Fast Six.

McLaughlin’s teammate, David Malukas, was the second-to-last driver to set an average speed for the Top 12 qualifying. The Team Penske driver’s first lap average speed was 231.536 mph, and the second was 231.388 mph. The 24-year-old remained in the 231 mph range for the last two laps, and he finished second with an average speed of 231.486 mph.

Felix Rosenqvist was the last to set an average speed for the Top 12 qualifying. The Swedish driver’s first lap average speed was 232.325 mph, and he remained in the 232 mph range for his second lap. Although he dipped to 231.791 mph on his third lap, Rosenqvist finished his last lap with an average speed of 232.017 mph. The Meyer Shank Racing driver topped the charts with an average lap speed of 232.065 mph.

Rosenqvist, Alex Palou, Malukas, Santino Ferrucci, Pato O’Ward and Alexander Rossi advanced to the Fast Six.

Firestone Fast Six

Alexander Rossi was the first driver out for the Firestone Fast Six. His first lap average speed was 232.568 mph, as he maintained his speed on the second lap with a 232.038 mph run. Laps 3 and 4 were in the 231 mph mark. Rossi set the pace with an average speed of 231.990 mph.

Pato O’Ward was next to attempt his final qualifying run. His first lap average speed was 230.108 mph. The Arrow McLaren driver stayed within 230 mph during his last three laps. The Arrow McLaren driver’s average speed was 230.442 mph as Rossi maintained provisional pole at this point.

Santino Ferrucci started his Fast Six run with a first lap average speed of 231.169 mph. The AJ Foyt Racing driver remained in the 230 mph mark for the rest of his laps. Ferrucci slid into second place with an average speed of 230.846 mph.

Then, David Malukas headed out to qualify with a first lap average speed of 231.728 mph. Malukas was keeping up with Rossi’s average speed as the Team Penske driver finished second fastest with an average speed of 231.877 mph.

Palou soars to pole

Alex Palou started his Firestone Fast Six run with a first lap average speed of 232.848 mph and was able to maintain that speed with a second lap average speed of 232.347 mph. The Spaniard finished his last two laps in the high 231 mph mark. Then, Palou took provisional pole from Alexander Rossi with an average speed of 232.248 mph.

Felix Rosenqvist was the last driver to qualify as he set an average speed of 231.374 mph on his first lap. The Meyer Shank Racing driver maintained an average speed within the 231 mph range on his final qualifying laps. Rosenqvist ultimately qualified fourth with an average speed of 231.87mph.

The Month of May continues with the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with coverage beginning Sunday, May 24, at 10 a.m. ET on FOX.