Alex Palou impressively claimed pole position for the Sonsio Grand Prix of Indianapolis. In the Firestone Fast Six, he immediately put the competition two-tenths of a second behind before going another three-tenths quicker one lap later. Pato O’Ward qualified second, ahead of Felix Rosenqvist and Christian Lundgaard on the second row.

After yesterday’s heavy rainfall, the sun finally broke through above the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. However, this was bad news for the drivers who had struggled with their cars during practice and were hoping a wet track would give them a better chance.

Kyle Kirkwood set the fastest time in the first qualifying group, narrowly beating Scott Dixon and Pato O’Ward, who finished second and third respectively. The biggest surprise in the opening group was rookie Caio Collet, who advanced to the Fast 12 for the first time in his short IndyCar career. The Brazilian achieved this by lapping just one-thousandth of a second quicker than Alexander Rossi, who was eliminated in the opening segment. Another notable early casualty was Scott McLaughlin, who will have to start the race from 17th on the grid.

The fastest time in the second qualifying group came as less of a surprise. The reigning champion narrowly edged out David Malukas and Felix Rosenqvist. Louis Foster and Romain Grosjean were the two surprise names to advance, while Andretti Global drivers Marcus Ericsson (starting 14th) and Will Power (starting last!) surprisingly failed to move on.

During the Fast 12 session, Alex Palou already began pulling away from the competition. In this segment, he was nearly three-tenths of a second quicker than second-placed Pato O’Ward. Palou’s main rival, Kirkwood, disappointed in this round and qualified only ninth for the race.

Palou set his fast laps in the Fast Six as one of the final drivers on track. On his first lap, he already opened up a two-tenth advantage before going another three-tenths quicker on his second lap. As a result, he put the competition more than half a second behind. O’Ward, who on Friday still had no idea why he was lacking pace, surprised by securing the second-fastest time.

Full results of the qualifying session at Indianapolis Road Course