They’re Still Chasing Alex Palou at Indy - Defending Champ Wins 500 Pole
Joe Skibinski/Penske Entertainment
By Dennis Krause
Reigning Indianapolis 500 winner and four-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Alex Palou is still out front at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The driver of the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda won the NTT P1 Pole Award for next Sunday’s 500 with a four-lap average of 232.248 mph in dramatic fashion in Firestone Fast Six qualifying.
According to Palou, his second career Indy 500 pole came as a surprise.
“Yeah, very surprised.
“We did not have the speed. Even on Fast Friday we tried and tried and tried to get more speed. It was okay. I think we were top 5, top 6, but then there was cars like Felix (Rosenqvist) that just had a huge advantage on everyone.
“This morning, even more. We barely made it into the Fast 12. But I think that kind of helped us. Just struggling a little bit on those conditions kind of made us work a lot and made us put our car for those conditions instead of this morning, which I believe they were better, and the car on Fast 6 was incredible.”
Going out 31st in the heat of the afternoon for his first-round run may not have seemed like an advantage, but it ultimately worked out that way for the 29-year-old Spaniard.
“I think my wife helped me,” Palou said. “She drew the number. She was very worried when she had that number.
“But, yes, I think that kind of allowed us to work on those conditions. It made it tougher. Getting into the Fast 12, we didn't have any margin, and we did everything. That was our ultimate pace at that moment, but obviously I think the track conditions were, like, 15 degrees warmer than when all these guys had gone, because I think everybody was on, like, the top 12.
“So it made us work on those conditions, and they were a lot more similar in Fast 6. For us, qualifying just got better and faster, and for everybody else just got slower and greasier. We saw a lot more mistakes or just people not being able to be flat-out.”
Chris Owens/Penske Entertainment
Given his qualifying draw of 31st or 33 cars, Palou claimed he was just trying to make the Fast 12 today.
“Yeah, you cannot do anything about it. Like, a draw is a draw. It's the same for everyone. We are a bit unlucky. We were close to being lucky if we would have qualified yesterday, but still, it's the same for everyone.
“I'm just glad that we still had a good car that allowed us to make it into the Fast 12, which was the biggest target today, just to try and get on those first rows for the start. But we did not expect to be here on pole today.
“I wanted to. And heading into the Fast 6, I was, like, okay, it's going to be a close fight between the 60 (Rosenqvist) and us and the 12 (David Malukas). But, yeah, the emotion was probably a lot higher because we did not expect it at all.”
Palou becomes the first defending race winner to claim the pole the following year since Helio Castroneves in 2010. For Palou, winning the pole felt like winning a race.
“It's tough to explain, because it's not a race,” Palou admitted. “It's only a pole, but it just feels like a race. We've been working on the qualifying lap -- on the qualifying car. I mean, I spent all Thursday working on it until I got the checkered, and I think that paid off.
“But, yeah, the intensity and everybody's attention is on qualifying only, so we treat it and celebrate it as a race win. Again, that doesn't guarantee us to be up front throughout the race next week, but still, it's the best starting spot.”
James Black/Penske Entertainment
Starting next to Palou on the inside of the first row is 2016 Indy winner Alexander Rossi. His four-lap average of 231.990 in the No. 20 Java House Chevrolet for ECR represents his career best starting position at the Brickyard.
“I think it was an incredible day for everyone after the disappointment, obviously, of the wash-out yesterday, and seeing conditions that we hadn't seen all month for the first time in qualifying. It's pretty wild, but a huge testament to everyone on the 20 crew for staying with it and continuing to evolve and improve after each run. It's no small feat around here.
“A great day,” Rossi added. “It's not often that you are happy with second place, but with some of the challenges that everyone faced, this is a pretty cool one.”
James Black/Penske Entertainment
Filling out the front row will be David Malukas in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet with a four-lap average of 231.877. While it’ll be the first front row start for Malukas at Indy, it’s the 50th front row start for Team Penske in the 500.
“It feels amazing,” enthused Malukas. “For me coming in and Team Penske, I hear it's the 50th front row start, and it's cool to have that 50th under my name. There was a lot of pressure going into preseason, just even for this race, but also all the races.
“It's just been an incredible start. I'm just so thankful, so grateful, and every single day I show up to the track a little bit more confident, a little bit more happy to just to be here and be a part of this Team Penske family.”
After pacing the first two rounds of qualifying, Sunday, Felix Rosenqvist didn’t have the speed when it counted in the Firestone Fast 6, qualifying the No. 60 SiriusXM Meyer-Shank Racing with Curb Agajanian Honda fourth at 231.375.
Santino Ferrucci qualified fifth at 230.846 in the No. 14 HOMES FOR OUR TROOPS Chevrolet of A.J. Foyt Enterprises. Pato O’Ward rounded out the Firestone Fast Six at 230.442 in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, making it six different teams in the first two rows of the starting grid.
With qualifying complete, the cars will return to race boost for Monday’s two-hour practice session from 1-3 P.M.(ET).
Dennis Krause has spent decades covering all forms of motorsports, including over 40 Indianapolis 500s, with stints at WIBA Radio, PIT PASS - Radio’s Premier Motorsports Magazine and Motorsports Minute. Follow him on X @DennisKrause500 or motorsportsminute.bluesky.social or motorsportsminute on Threads or MotorsportsMinute+ on Facebook.