Alex ‘perfect’ Palou claims Indy road course pole for third consecutive year

versus Alex Palou in qualifying for the Sonsio Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.

The four-time and reigning IndyCar Series champion, who has won the last three consecutive years at the IMS road course, dished out an electrifying run of 1m09.748s to take pole at the 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course. It also marks his third straight pole in the event.

“It’s tough to get the car in good windows like these guys have been doing,” said Palou, of his #10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda crew members. “It’s a lot of work that everybody is putting behind at Chip Ganassi Racing. Very happy to be in that #10 on the pole once again here. It feels really good. The car was amazing. I think not everyone was running on new alternates, so I know we’re going to be in a small disadvantage on the race, but still, happy that we’re starting on the front row and see if we can win with the #10.”

Behind the Spaniard was Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward, who qualified a distant second by 0.5475s back. Meyer Shank Racing’s Felix Rosenqvist took third, 0.7061s off the top mark.

Arrow McLaren’s Christian Lundgaard ended up fourth, ahead of Team Penske’s David Malukas in fifth, and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Louis Foster in sixth.

Fast Six

Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing

Malukas and Foster were the first to go out and do a buildup lap before diving back to pit lane.

The first contested time on pace came courtesy of Rosenqvist with a 1m10.547s lap with just under a minute to go. However, he was relegated after Palou nailed a 1m10.011s lap a moment later.

Malukas wheeled a 1m10.566s lap on a set of used softer alternates, which slotted him fifth after O’Ward jumped up to second with a 1m10.296s lap, with Lundgaard fourth at 1m10.566s.

Foster quietly delivered a 1m10.940s lap to take sixth, his best qualifying performance of the season.

Round of 12

Josef Newgarden, Team Penske, Jonathan Diuguid

Palou dished out a 1m09.780s with less than a minute to go in the session, which was enough to hold the top transfer spot. O’Ward put down a 1m10.053s lap to take second, directly ahead of teammate Lundgaard.

Rosenqvist took fourth, with Foster fifth and Malukas in sixth.

Graham Rahal (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing) was the first driver to miss out on transferring in the Fast Six, doing so by a narrow 0.0521s. Six-time IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon was eighth in the #9 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood, who is currently second in the overall championship standings, came across ninth. Josef Newgarden, a two-time Indianapolis 500 winner and two-time series champion, was 10th in the #2 Team Penske Chevrolet. Dale Coyne Racing’s Romain Grosjean took 11th, with AJ Foyt Racing rookie Caio Collet putting his best qualifying performance of the season in 12th.

Groups

Will Power, Andretti Global

Live timing for the first group was a mystery for the opening six minutes and change, at least publicly, but once it showed up there was a frantic run to the finish. Kirkwood dished out a 1m10.2179s flyer, followed by Dixon, O’Ward, Rahal, Newgarden, and Collet.

ECR’s Alexander Rossi made a last-gasp effort, but in the end fell 0.0011s short of transferring.

“It’s annoying that it wasn’t three amazing laps from my side,” Rossi said. “I’ve been struggling a lot getting the balance in the window to what we need. I think we’ve made a lot of improvements from yesterday. I just didn’t put it all together there, which is annoying.

“I don’t know that we had a car for pole, but I think we could have easily been in the top 12. It’s unfortunate that’s not the case.”

The 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner was followed by AJ Foyt Racing’s Santino Ferrucci and Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin. Christian Rasmussen (ECR) wrapped up 10th in the group, ahead of Juncos Hollinger Racing’s duo of Rinus VeeKay and Sting Ray Robb.

The second group was led by Arrow McLaren’s Nolan Siegel for the majority of the session, but he was bumped by Grosjean with a 1m10.299s with 1m to go. However, the rotation at the top continued and ended with Palou delivering a 1m09.912s flyer to pace the group.

Malukas elevated to second, followed by Rosenqvist, Foster, Grosjean, and Lundgaard. Andretti Global’s Marcus Ericsson was the first driver on the outside looking in, missing the cut by 0.0498s.

Siegel ended up eighth, followed by Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing rookie Mick Schumacher in ninth. Meyer Shank Racing’s Marcus Armstrong was 10th, ahead of Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kyffin Simpson and Dale Coyne Racing rookie Dennis Hauger.

Will Power, a six-time pole winner around the IMS road course, ended up last (13th) among the second group in the #26 Andretti Global Honda.