Palou leads Indy 500 qualifying

By Thomas Miles

Date posted: 18 May 2025

IndyCar championship leader Alex Palou is the favourite for Indianapolis 500 pole after pipping Scott McLaughlin on the opening day of qualifying.

Palou just edged ahead of McLaughlin by 0.0198s and 0.030mph after six intense hours of on-track action.

The likes of Scott Dixon and Australia’s Will Power also managed to get themselves a spot for the fight for pole tonight.

It will be decided across the Top 12 where the fastest six drivers will be found for the Fast Six.

Wind gusts and cooler conditions created challenges for the drivers.

“It’s tough conditions out there,” Palou said.

“Yesterday it was with the temperature; today it was with the wind. The car has been really good. We were struggling this morning (in practice). I was unable to finish a four-lap (qualifying simulation) run. Now we were able to finish it quite strongly.

“Super happy. I don’t know if there’s more (speed in the car), but there’s always more. The line between more and too much is very thin here at IMS. We’ll see what we have for tomorrow.”

McLaughlin is the reigning pole winner but admits the pressure remains as high as ever.

“It just was pretty quick there towards the line,” the Team Penske Kiwi said.. I started to build a little loose at the end, so maybe just in a little bit of balance, but yeah it’s close.

“I on that one too, I hit the limiter, going into the turn one, so I lost the chunk of speed.

“I think that’s why I would I went down to a (2)32 5. So I think we can easily stay in the 33’s. I’m really proud of the guys, the Pennzoil “yellow submarine” and Team Chevy.

“This car’s good and we can definitely run for pole tomorrow. It’s good in race trim.

“But I tell you, it is my fifth one of these, and it just does not get any easier.”

Team Prema rookie Robert Shwartzman impressed by getting as high as sixth.

Honestly, I was quite nervous before the run, wondering how it was going to be feeling,” he said.

Everything is new to me, so I was like woah, woah, woah, how is it going to be. Then, I was like it’s one chance, it’s my first qualifying, and I just have to go for it. I just floored it and went flat.”

NASCAR star Kyle Larson could only manage 21st and revealed his distaste for the qualifying format.

“I’m not sure exactly what they did, but I would assume trimmed out a litt’e bit. I felt like they matched the balance well,” he said.

“I got a little free into (Turn) 2 the last lap. Other than that, I could tell it cut through the wind a little bit better.

“It was good to go faster. I don’t like qualifying here, but I feel like we’re going to qualify again because they are going to want to make the Fast 12. It gets sketchier every time you go out.”

Indianapolis 500 Qualifying Day 1 results

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Palou leads Indy 500 qualifying

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