Winners and Losers from Indy 500 Qualifying Weekend

If qualifying weekend is any indication, this year’s Indy 500 is going to be something special. It was a weekend full of tension, crashes, surprises, drama, and pure joy. With the incredible Robert Shwartzman, the Indy 500 now has its first rookie on pole in over 40 years! Who stood out—positively or negatively—during the weekend? Here’s a rundown of the biggest winners and losers.

Winner: Prema Racing

With zero oval experience and a rookie as one of their two drivers, Prema Racing was widely expected to fail to qualify one of their cars. On Opening Day, they were the only team that didn’t even have their cars ready! But they completely turned things around during practice, and it was rookie Robert Shwartzman who not only made it into the Fast 12, but also qualified third fastest, with Callum Ilott landing 23rd.

Shwartzman didn’t stop there. He advanced to the Fast 6 and then did the unthinkable—he outpaced five veteran drivers to take pole position in his very first oval race, his first Indy 500, Prema’s first oval, and Prema’s first Indy 500. He became the first rookie to take pole for the Indy 500 since Teo Fabi in 1983!

Loser: Team Penske

Along with Chip Ganassi Racing, Team Penske entered the weekend as a top contender for pole. All three of their cars made the Fast 12 on Saturday, setting the stage for a big Sunday. But that’s not how things played out.

Scott McLaughlin crashed hard during Sunday warm-ups. Although a backup car was available, the team decided not to risk sending it out untested, meaning McLaughlin didn’t take part in qualifying at all.

The problems kept piling up: During the technical inspection, the energy absorber ("attenuator") on Josef Newgarden’s car was found to be non-compliant. Will Power’s car had the same issue, even though it had initially passed inspection. Knowing his car would eventually be disqualified as well, Penske withdrew both entries.

On Monday, it was announced that the cars of Will Power and Josef Newgarden had been hit with severe penalties. Among other sanctions, the cars were moved to the last two starting positions, and the lead strategists for the Indy 500 were suspended.

The situation has caused major controversy within the IndyCar paddock, especially given that the team was also caught running illegal cars last year in St. Petersburg. All in all, a deeply embarrassing episode for the powerhouse Penske organization.

Winner: Juncos Hollinger Racing

Historically, Juncos hasn’t had the strongest showing at Indy. Last year, they qualified 22nd (Canapino) and 26th (Grosjean).

This year, they’ve made real progress. Sting Ray Robb, not considered a top-tier talent, qualified a career-best 19th. Conor Daly, after having his first run disqualified, went out last on Saturday and nearly made the Fast 12, missing it by just five hundredths of a second. Still, 13th on the grid is a major achievement for this small team.

Loser: Ed Carpenter Racing

Ed Carpenter Racing has traditionally performed well in Indy 500 qualifying. Since 2013, they’ve only missed the front row in 2015, 2020, and 2024. With new investment and the signing of veteran Alexander Rossi, expectations were high.

It went completely off script. None of the three drivers made the Fast 12. Rossi made the most qualifying attempts of anyone—four runs—but could only manage 14th. Ed Carpenter will start 16th, and Christian Rasmussen 20th.

Winner: Felix Rosenqvist

The tech alliance between Meyer Shank Racing and Chip Ganassi Racing has been paying dividends. Marcus Armstrong struggled, crashing Saturday morning and barely making the field in a backup car.

Felix Rosenqvist, however, capitalized. He was fastest in the Fast 12, though a slower run in the Fast 6 dropped him to fifth. Still, it’s a strong result for Meyer Shank Racing.

Loser: Dale Coyne Racing

Rinus VeeKay has masked just how much Dale Coyne Racing has struggled this year. During qualifying, it all came undone.

Both VeeKay and rookie Jacob Abel lacked pace, despite decent speed during Fast Friday. They ended up at the bottom of the time charts and had to fight for a spot in the Last Chance Qualifier.

Even there, Coyne’s cars were well off the pace compared to Marco Andretti and Marcus Armstrong. VeeKay barely made it in, qualifying 33rd and last. Abel’s first Indy 500 journey ended in heartbreak.

Compared to the new Prema team, the difference is striking. Dale Coyne Racing likely operates with the smallest budget in the IndyCar paddock, but if Prema can achieve so much without any prior experience, shouldn't the seasoned team from Plainfield, IL be able to do the same?

Winner: Takuma Sato

At Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, there was a major gap between teammates. Graham Rahal barely made the field. DeFrancesco and Foster qualified 18th and 22nd.

Then there’s Sato. The 48-year-old part-timer was fast all week, made the Fast 12, and then the Fast 6. He went all-in during his final run, setting his fastest speeds yet—and landed a front-row start, qualifying second.

Loser: Andretti Global

With one of the highest budgets and a stacked driver lineup, Andretti once again disappointed. Only Marcus Ericsson made the Fast 12, where he was the slowest.

Kyle Kirkwood qualified a disappointing 25th, while Colton Herta needed a backup car after a crash and barely made it into the field at 29th. Marco Andretti was so slow he had to qualify through the Last Chance session for his 20th Indy 500.

Winner: David Malukas

Last year, Malukas looked poised for a breakout season with McLaren—until a mountain biking injury broke his wrist and ended his run before it began.

Now with AJ Foyt Racing, which benefits from a tech partnership with Team Penske, Malukas has a shot at redemption. His season has been underwhelming so far, but qualifying seventh for the Indy 500 could mark a turning point. He missed the Fast 6 by just five hundredths of a second—but seventh feels like a win.

Loser: Santino Ferrucci

Few drivers are as consistent at Indy as Santino Ferrucci—six straight top 10 finishes, including a third in 2023. With Team Penske equipment and two recent top-6 qualifying runs, he was a dark horse for pole.

But things never clicked this year. He ran the fewest laps early in the week, switched back to his 2023 car, and hovered at the bottom of the timesheets. A slight uptick on Fast Friday helped, but he still only managed 17th.

The 26-year-old may feel relieved just to be in the field, but missing the Fast 12—especially with Penske setup support—makes this a big disappointment.