INDIANAPOLIS — Alex Palou has been the story of the season in IndyCar in 2025 and continued that development as quickest of Saturday’s opening spherical of {qualifications} for the 109th Indianapolis 500.
However Robert Shwartzman of Prema Racing was the story of the day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The Russian rookie from Tel Aviv, Israel positioned the No. 83 Chevrolet solidly into Sunday’s Quick 12 with the sixth-fastest velocity across the 2.5-mile Indianapolis. Motor Speedway.
Palou’s four-lap qualification common of 233.043 mph within the No. 10 DHL Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing is one other instance of his nice season in IndyCar.
The driving force from Spain has received 4 of the primary 5 races included the final two in a row.
“Wonderful day for us,” Palou mentioned. “We struggled a bit of bit in follow. We weren’t in a position to end a full qualifying run. I imply, like everyone, it was robust circumstances at this time.
“Glad that we obtained our steadiness proper. We had a ton of velocity within the automotive. It’s been nice the comeback we did from final yr, I believe. Yeah, from each side, I believe HRC and the staff. Yeah, actually quick vehicles.
“Trying ahead to tomorrow.”
Palou’s effort shouldn’t be sudden.
Shwartzman’s four-lap run, nonetheless, was a stunner.
He was the fourth driver on the monitor when {qualifications} started at 11 a.m. ET following Marcus Ericsson, Pato O’Ward and Kyffin Simpson.
Earlier this week throughout follow, Shwartzman was struggling for velocity however because the week continued, his velocity elevated, and his confidence grew.
His 4 laps have been extraordinarily constant. His first lap was 233.230 mph adopted by a 233.100 on his second. He completed his four-lap run with a 3rd lap at 232.028 mph and a last lap at 231.984 mph for the four-lap common of 232.534 mph.
It was the one qualification try Shwartzman needed to make.
“Actually good day,” Shwartzman mentioned. “I truthfully didn’t anticipate it to go that properly. We have been step by step bettering the automotive step-by-step. To have such a great run this morning, I used to be like, ‘OK, this automotive is de facto quick.’
“Clearly was actually tough, as I mentioned already earlier than. It’s the hardest I believe qualifying of my profession. 4 laps consecutive, focus, one slight mistake and also you’re achieved. Yeah, undoubtedly it was a giant problem for me.
“I’m completely happy that I managed to finish all 4 laps. We’re going to high 12. I believe it’s additionally a great factor it’s the primary one of many staff. We lastly obtained a high 12, it’s right here in Indy. Fairly a legendary second for us. Fairly completely happy.
“The staff did a extremely good job with engineering and mechanics. The whole lot was step-by-step with out dashing issues, ensuring every little thing is true. I believe that’s the place it paid off.”
After the 6-hour, 55-minute session concluded, Shwartzman velocity positioned him sixth on the scoring pylon and assured him a spot within the Quick 12 that can hit the monitor on Sunday at 4 p.m. ET. The quickest six drivers from that session will return to combat it out for the primary two positions, together with the prized Indy 500 Pole.
The Quick Six will probably be from 6:25 to six:55 p.m. to finish Sunday’s Pole Day on the Indy 500.
Final yr’s pole winner, Scott McLaughlin of Staff Penske, was second at 233.013 mph within the No. 3 Chevrolet. His two-time and back-to-back Indianapolis 500 successful teammate, Josef Newgarden, was third.
O’Ward was fourth at 232.820 mph for 4 laps within the No. 5 Chevrolet for Arrow McLaren adopted by five-time Indy 500 pole winner Scott Dixon’s four-lap common of 232.659 mph and Shwartzman’s 232.584.
The remaining six drivers within the Quick 12 included David Malukas of AJ Foyt Racing at 232.546 mph, Felix Rosenqvist of Meyer Shank Racing at 232.449 mph, Takuma Sato of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing at 232.415 mph.
Rounding out the Quick 12 was Will Energy’s 232.144 within the No. 12 Chevrolet for Staff Penske, Marcus Ericsson’s No. 28 Honda for Andretti World at 232.132 mph and Christian Lundgaard’s 231.809 mph for Arrow McLaren.
There have been two main crashes on Saturday. The primary got here within the morning follow session when Meyer Shank Racing’s Marcus Armstrong slammed into the Flip 1 wall. The Honda slid down the monitor and made a second hit within the Flip 2 wall.
Armstrong was placed on a stretcher as he was loaded into the ambulance, however was later checked, cleared and launched from the IU Well being Medical Middle within the infield of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
His automotive was destroyed, and he returned to the monitor late within the qualifying session however was not quick sufficient to be locked into the Prime 30. He’s one among 4 drivers that must combat it out for the ultimate three positions in Final Probability Qualifying at 5:15 p.m. ET.
“It’s clearly massively disappointing what occurred this morning,” Armstrong mentioned. “We had a really quick automotive. I believe Felix demonstrated that. I believe he obtained the quickest lap of the day. He’s P7 or one thing now. I believe him and I have been just about the identical.
“I don’t know why, truthfully, I misplaced the automotive so abruptly. You possibly can argue a bunch of issues. Finally, we put a setup on the automotive that we thought was going to be fairly conservative for the circumstances, however in the end that wasn’t the case.
“Then large credit score to them, to Meyer Shank Racing, for placing our street course automotive collectively so rapidly. I believe we circulated at 229. We didn’t even have telemetry on the primary runs, we don’t know whether or not COP (Middle of Stress) or experience heights are or something. That second run was a bit like, yeah, we’ll see.
“Large credit score to them for placing the automotive collectively.”
The second was a brutal crash on Colton Herta’s qualification try.
On Herta’s first lap, his automotive did a half-spin in Flip 1 and contacted the SAFER Barrier. The automotive overturned and slid alongside the monitor and made a secondary affect with the SAFER Barrier on high of the automotive.
With sparks flying because the automotive skidded the other way up via the South Chute wall, it lastly got here to a relaxation in Flip 2.
Herta was assisted by the AMR IndyCar Security Staff, cleared and launched.
Andretti World ready Herta’s backup automotive and he returned to the monitor late within the qualification session, however he certified twenty ninth at 230.192 mph.
Previous to this yr, Herta’s common beginning place was 2.7.
“Yeah, it sucks,” Herta mentioned. “I believe from our standpoint of the place we wish to be, what we wish to deal with, we’re not completely happy simply making the present. We wish to combat for the pole; we wish to be within the Quick 12. After we don’t get the possibility to do this, it’s fairly disappointing.
“What a heroic effort by the fellows. I don’t assume I’ve ever seen something like that on any automotive. Naked chassis, naked tub in 4 and a half hours to a whole automotive. The one factor that we transferred over was the engine. The whole lot else was destroyed.
“To have a automotive that not solely runs however is secure, the steadiness is true, in that period of time, I don’t even know what to say. It was their day.
“Me and Nathan (O’Rourke, engineer) tried our hardest to take us out of the present. They stored us in it, so…”1
Graham Rahal was the final driver to outlive the marathon qualification session, making the sphere in thirtieth place. However his velocity of 229.863 mph within the No. 15 Honda was one other main disappointment for the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing driver.
However for the primary time in three years, Rahal received’t should endure the final probability {qualifications}.
“At the least I can sleep tonight,” Rahal mentioned. “However this place has been a killer to me.”
The 4 drivers in that session embody Marco Andretti, Rinus VeeKay, who had beforehand by no means certified exterior of the primary two rows for the Indy 500, Armstrong and rookie Jacob Abel within the No. 51 Honda.
It’s the third straight yr the No. 51 will probably be in Final Probability {Qualifications}.
Conor Daly was the final driver to make a qualification try and was on tempo to race his method into the Quick 12. The gun sounded on Daly’s last lap as the group waited in anticipation to see if Daly’s run would get him into the Quick 12.
It was a 231.725 mph four-lap common, simply shy of Lundgaard’s 231.809 four-lap run.
“Truthfully, we had a wild day,” Daly mentioned. “Truthfully our first run the entire entrance wing being flawed was loopy as a result of we clearly should go to tech earlier than we run, too. It was form of a disgrace there.
“Yeah, we needed to come again. In the midst of the day, didn’t fairly have precisely what we wanted. We trimmed out for the final run simply to attempt to keep above the place we wanted to be.
“I didn’t get the burden jacker again to the appropriate place earlier than flip one within the final lap. It was undoubtedly my fault. The staff deserved to be within the 12. You simply obtained to be good right here.
“I used to be making an attempt just a few various things to be as constant as potential. Simply occurred to not get the burden jacker again in time. Yeah, that value us the 12.
“However a great bounce again, for certain, for our group, undoubtedly.”
Lundgaard had made it and can now have a shot on the Indy 500 Pole if he can advance out of the Quick 12.
“After the primary run, we weren’t actually completely happy,” Lundgaard defined. “On the second run, we made an enormous enchancment. I used to be far more comfy and in a position to commit much more. It paid off. I undoubtedly didn’t assume the lap velocity was going to remain. There have been loads of quick vehicles within the area.
“We’re actually proud of the end result and we get to do it once more tomorrow.”
