The road to the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500 continues to run through Alex Palou. After dominating much of the last two IndyCar seasons, the Spanish superstar added another major accomplishment Sunday by capturing the pole position for next weekend’s sold-out race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Palou posted a four-lap average speed of 232.248 mph in the Fast Six shootout, earning his second career Indy 500 pole and cementing his status as the favorite entering “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”
What made the achievement even more impressive was that Palou didn’t expect to contend for the top spot. After IndyCar officials increased engine power ahead of Friday’s practice sessions, Palou and the No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing team struggled to find the speed they wanted. Combined with a late qualifying draw and rising afternoon track temperatures, Palou believed his chances at the pole were slim.
Instead, he once again found a way. On his final four-lap qualifying run earlier in the day, Palou surged to the top of the charts and bumped Alexander Rossi from provisional pole. Rossi averaged 231.990 mph and ultimately secured a career-best second-place starting position.
The defending Indy 500 champion returned later for the semifinal and Fast Six sessions, where only Felix Rosenqvist appeared capable of matching his pace. Rosenqvist had topped the first two qualifying rounds and entered the final session with momentum after producing the fastest overall lap and four-lap average during Friday practice.
Armed with the confidence gained from four IndyCar championships, an Indianapolis 500 victory, and a commanding 27-point lead in the standings, Palou and his team made several adjustments before the final run. The changes paid immediate dividends as he eclipsed Rossi’s mark and then watched Rosenqvist fall short of the 232 mph barrier on each of his last four laps.
The result made Palou the first defending Indy 500 winner to capture the pole since 2010.
Rosenqvist settled for fourth at 231.375 mph and will start on the inside of Row 2. David Malukas qualified third at 231.877 mph, giving Team Penske a front-row presence despite a turbulent qualifying weekend for the powerhouse organization.
Malukas’ performance was especially notable considering this is his first season with Penske after missing last year’s race because of a wrist injury. He also was the lone Penske driver to advance to the Fast Six.
Meanwhile, two-time Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden endured a difficult day, missing the shootout entirely and qualifying 24th. Fellow championship contender Kyle Kirkwood also struggled, starting 26th after all of the Andretti Global entries failed to crack the Fast Six.
Former Indy winners also found themselves deeper in the field. Marcus Ericsson qualified 18th, while Will Power will roll off 20th. Two-time winner Takuma Sato narrowly missed the Fast Six and qualified 13th after brushing the wall during Sunday morning practice.
Another storyline belonged to Katherine Legge, who qualified 27th while pursuing motorsports history. Legge is attempting to become the first woman to compete in both the Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 on the same day, completing the grueling 1,100-mile “double.”
Four-time Indy winner Helio Castroneves qualified 15th as he seeks a record-breaking fifth victory at Indianapolis. Rookie Mick Schumacher, son of Formula One legend Michael Schumacher, will make his Indianapolis 500 debut from the 28th starting spot.
Still, the spotlight remains firmly on Palou.
The 29-year-old has already won three of the first six races this season and 11 of his last 23 IndyCar starts overall as he chases a fourth consecutive series championship. Next Sunday, he will attempt to join one of the most exclusive groups in racing history by becoming just the seventh driver ever to win back-to-back Indianapolis 500s.
And after another dominant qualifying performance at the Brickyard, Palou once again looks like the man everyone else must beat.
