PALOU TAKES HIS FIRST POLE IN INDYCAR 2026
Qualifying for the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix at Barber Motorsports Park was full of action, surprises, and dramatic moments, ending with Alex Palou taking his first pole position of the 2026 season.
The session started with Palou setting the early pace, but it was quickly interrupted by a red flag after Will Power crashed into the wall. It was later confirmed that the accident was caused by a brake failure, not driver error. The crash marked another difficult moment in what has already been a challenging season for Power.
When the session resumed, drivers had only a few minutes left to improve their times. Palou once again showed strong pace, going even faster, while Graham Rahal delivered an impressive lap to move into the top positions. There were also surprises, with Scott Dixon failing to advance and missing out on the next stage.
In the second group, Kyle Kirkwood set the early benchmark, but the fight quickly intensified. Romain Grosjean briefly took the top spot with a strong lap, before Kirkwood responded with an even faster time.
David Malukas and Josef Newgarden also secured their places in the next round, while Scott McLaughlin was surprisingly eliminated despite using a backup car.
The Fast 12 session continued to deliver drama. Newgarden initially went fastest, even using older tires, showing strong pace. However, as the track improved, times dropped quickly. Kirkwood moved to the top, with Palou close behind.
In the final moments, several drivers improved, but Pato O’Ward could not find the pace and was eliminated, while Rahal secured a place in the Fast 6.
The final session saw the remaining six drivers fight for pole position. Grosjean lost time after running off track, leaving the battle open. In the final minute, Palou delivered a strong lap to take the top spot. Malukas came close in second, while Rahal completed the top three with an excellent performance.
In the end, Palou secured pole position with a confident and consistent performance across all sessions. It was a well-deserved result for the reigning champion, who now heads into the race as the favorite after a very competitive and unpredictable qualifying session.
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