Reigning NTT INDYCAR Series champion Alex Palou kept the pressure on in his quest for a third title by winning the NTT P1 Award for the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey on Saturday at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
Palou earned his second pole of the season and fifth of his career with a best lap of 1 minute, 7.1465 seconds in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Palou is second in the championship standings, five points behind Will Power, who qualified 15th in the No. 12 Verizon Business Team Penske Chevrolet.
I SEE: Qualifying results
“It was really hard, really hard to get to the Fast 12 and then the Fast Six,” Palou said. βIt was really difficult with the track conditions. As soon as there was a little wind, you couldn’t complete the lap because there was no traction.
“Really happy. Car was on track today so best starting position for tomorrow.”
Live coverage of the 95-lap race begins at 6 p.m. ET Sunday on the USA Network, the Peacock and the INDYCAR Radio Network. A 30-minute warm-up precedes the match at 3 p.m. ET, live on Peacock and the INDYCAR Radio Network.
The pole continued an impressive history for Palou at this scenic Northern California road, an 11-turn, 2.238-mile layout that includes the famous “Termola” turn complex. Palu won this race in 2022 and finished second in 2021 and third in 2023.
Kyle Kirkwood will join Palou on the front row after a best lap of 1:07.2204 in Andretti Global’s No. 27 AutoNation Honda. The second starting position was Kirkwood’s best qualifying performance since winning the pole and the race in April 2023 at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.
Felix Rosenqvist continued his resurgence with Meyer Shank Racing, finishing third in 1:07.2917 in the No. 60 AutoNation/SiriusXM Honda. Colton Herta, who led Saturday morning practice, qualified fourth in 1:07.2972 in Andretti Global’s No. 26 Gainbridge Honda with Curb-Agajanian. Herta won this match in 2019 and 2021.
Alexander Rossi qualified fifth in 1:07.3594 in the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. Christian Lundgaard completed the Firestone Fast Six and Row 3 in 1:07.5112 in the No. 45 Hy-Vee Honda provided by Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.
The other three drivers in the top five of the championship standings β third Scott Dixon, fourth Pato O’Ward and fifth Scott McLaughlin β will try to keep up with Palou from the fourth and fifth rows of the starting grid. .
McLaughlin qualified seventh in the No. 3 Good Ranchers Team Penske Chevrolet, O’Ward ninth in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet and Dixon 10th in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.