PALOU TAKES INDY 500 POLE AFTER LONG QUALIFYING DAY
Alex Palou took pole position for the 2026 Indianapolis 500 after a packed qualifying day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The original Saturday session had been delayed by rain, so all the main qualifying action was moved into Sunday. The format was based on each driver’s four-lap average speed.
The first part of qualifying decided the lower part of the grid and also selected the drivers who would move into the Fast 12. There were some big surprises, with names like Christian Lundgaard and Josef Newgarden missing out on the next stage, while rookie Caio Collet made it through and secured a strong top-12 place.
In the Fast 12, Felix Rosenqvist delivered the fastest run with an average speed of 232.065 mph. Palou was second, followed by David Malukas, Santino Ferrucci, Pato O’Ward and Alexander Rossi. Those six drivers advanced to the Fast Six, while Kyffin Simpson, Conor Daly, Scott McLaughlin, Caio Collet, Scott Dixon and Rinus VeeKay were locked into seventh to 12th on the grid.
The Fast Six then decided pole position. Rossi set the early target with a strong average speed of 231.990 mph, before Malukas came close with 231.877 mph. Ferrucci and O’Ward could not beat them, and Rosenqvist, who had been quickest in the Fast 12, also fell short in the final shootout.
Palou then produced the lap sequence that mattered most. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver reached a four-lap average of 232.248 mph, beating Rossi and Malukas to secure pole position for the Indy 500. It was Palou’s second career pole for the race, after also taking the top spot in 2023.
The final Fast Six order was Palou first, Rossi second, Malukas third, Rosenqvist fourth, Ferrucci fifth and O’Ward sixth. That means Palou, Rossi and Malukas will share the front row for the start of the race.
It was a dramatic qualifying day, but the grid does not tell the whole story for race day. Some teams focused more on race balance than pure qualifying speed, so the order may not be a perfect preview of who will be strongest over 500 miles. Still, Palou delivered when it counted and will lead the field to green for one of the biggest races in motorsport.
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