Palou takes “phenomenal” pole position – Mid-Ohio qualifying results

Alex Palou and Chip Ganassi Racing will begin on pole place for the Indy 200 Mid-Ohio race on Sunday July 6 after setting a lightning-fast lap of 1:05.021 to beat Christian Lundgaard in his Arrow McLaren to first.

Lundgaard, who will begin second, was two-tenths slower than Palou however was the one driver who may get close to the present championship chief on tempo with third place Kyffin Simpson over seven tenths slower than his teammate.

Delighted with the consequence, Palou mentioned: “Ever since I began with Chip Ganassi Racing, we have had nice vehicles however I’d say we have all the time struggled qualifying up entrance, so this 12 months it has been phenomenal.

“The pace we’ve within the vehicles, in each single race monitor we present up, it has been superb.”

Palou shared that he believed he may have saved the final of the gentle tires to “try to have a bonus tomorrow” however recognised that beginning on pole ought to “profit us extra.”

He mentioned: “We all know that there’s going to be some vehicles that save these tires so they’ll be a giant risk for tomorrow. However, yeah, pleased with our automotive, comfortable clearly with our beginning place and may’t wait.”

Whereas Simpson had nowhere close to the tempo to take pole, he walked away comfortable from qualifying along with his profession greatest qualifying place in IndyCar.

By no means earlier than qualifying within the Quick Six, Simpson confirmed that he would get this when he knocked out the one different race winner bar Palou in 2025, Kyle Kirkwood in his Andretti, in spherical two.

Setting a lap time within the closing moments, Simpson pipped Kirkwood to take the ultimate spot in spherical two.

Following qualifying, Simpson shared: “It was unimaginable. It was a troublesome qualifying and it was very shut, particularly in these first couple of segments.

“So simply barely slipping via in sixth place in each of them was a little bit nerve-wracking after which being P3 in that session, I used to be very shocked about however very fortunately shocked.

Simpson is among the drivers Palou talked about will probably be a risk tomorrow resulting from a saved set of purple tires. 

Requested on his ideas on this, Simpson shared that this provides him further confidence going into tomorrow’s race.

He defined: “We are the highest ones beginning with an additional set of reds, so I believe that is fairly good for us. I believe we have numerous tempo. We felt good and now we will simply give attention to the race and do our greatest there.”

Kirkwood was unable to share Simpson’s elation after the session and was visibly upset along with his consequence.

He believed that he had been hindered by being behind one in all Ed Carpenter drivers which led to him being unable to place a adequate lap time in.

Kirkwood will begin seventh and on row 4 for tomorrow’s race.

Kirkwood lamented: “One of many Carpenter vehicles was in entrance of us and we bought too near them. They have been simply backing up.

“I do not know what lap they have been on or what they have been doing however we have been most likely simply outdoors of a second away, which I do not assume is technically impeding, however that is sufficient in a high-speed nook to price you a handful of lots of.”

“I misplaced most likely a tenth and a half within the again sector, so actually upset about that, I am not gonna lie.”

“We have been on for like a two or a 3 and that may have simply transferred us and we might have had a shot on the pole as soon as once more however that simply ruined our session there.”

“We’re seventh, we bought an additional set of reds, so take the positives the place we will.”

Kirkwood was not the one driver to have a foul day within the workplace with the 2024 Mid-Ohio race winner Pato O’Ward unable to make it previous Q1 Group One and completed eighth inside the group.

O’Ward was joined by Penske driver Scott McLaughlin within the knockout zone in Group One who completed eleventh. Palou will begin tomorrow in fifteenth and McLaughlin twenty first.

In Group Two, Penske suffered one other loss when Will Energy was additionally knocked out early and located himself eleventh to safe himself to start out twenty second in tomorrow’s race behind McLaughlin.

Energy had earlier confronted and swore a number of occasions at Palou after observe two after he believed the Spaniard had blocked him a number of occasions in the course of the session. 

He made feedback following the confrontation that Palou’s actions have been stopping him and crew from “attempting to get an concept of what our automotive is doing”.

Alongside Energy, Felix Rosenqvist in his Ozzy Osbourne/Black Sabbath livery Meyer Shank automotive and David Malukas have been additionally knocked out in Group Two and can begin sixteenth and 14th respectively.

Alongside Simpson, Nolan Siegel additionally celebrated his best-ever qualifying place and can begin fourth for tomorrow’s race.

The second highest Arrow McLaren driver, Siegel was pleased with the consequence however believed if he was given contemporary purple tyres, he may have challenged Lundgaard and even been the quickest McLaren.

He mentioned: “’I’m comfortable. I believe we may have given Christian a run for the entrance row on new reds so that may have been enjoyable.

However [for] now [I’m] actually comfortable to be beginning fourth, greatest Indy automotive beginning place, and good to be within the Quick Six once more.

“We have had a tough few weekends and issues are actually turning round. The group’s doing a terrific job. Obtained some new faces on the quantity six NTT Information Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. It is all working effectively.”

Josef Newgarden joined his Penske brothers with a poor consequence because the crew continued to go from unhealthy to worse following the Indy 500. The previous world champion will begin 18th in tomorrow’s race.