- Car 10 Palou, Alex D/H/F 02:35.0066 232.248 Pole Day
- Car 20 Rossi, Alexander D/C/F 02:35.1792 231.990 Pole Day
- Car 12 Malukas, David D/C/F 02:35.2549 231.877 Pole Day
- Car 60 Rosenqvist, Felix D/H/F 02:35.5914 231.375 Pole Day
- Car 14 Ferrucci, Santino D/C/F 02:35.9482 230.846 Pole Day
- Car 5 O’Ward, Pato D/C/F 02:36.2218 230.442 Pole Day
- Car 8 Simpson, Kyffin D/H/F 02:35.9229 230.883 Pole Day
- Car 23 Daly, Conor D/C/F 02:36.0390 230.712 Pole Day
- Car 3 McLaughlin, Scott D/C/F 02:36.1300 230.577 Pole Day
- Car 4 Collet, Caio D/C/F 02:36.1560 230.539 Pole Day
- Car 9 Dixon, Scott D/H/F 02:36.2862 230.347 Pole Day
- Car 76 VeeKay, Rinus D/C/F 02:36.8048 229.585 Pole Day
Photo Courtesy of INDYCAR
NTT INDYCAR SERIES Statement:
Reigning Winner Palou Beats Heat To Earn Second Career Indy 500 Pole
INDIANAPOLIS (Sunday, May 17, 2026) – Alex Palou will start the defense of his 2025 victory from the best spot possible in the 110th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge – the pole.
Four-time and reigning NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Palou earned his second career pole for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” in a dramatic Firestone Fast Six session Sunday afternoon at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, winning the NTT P1 Award and a $100,000 bonus with his four-lap average speed of 232.248 mph in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.
“I have no words,” Palou said. “So, that was incredible. It just feels incredible. Great start to the Month of May.
“Did not expect it. You could see the celebration was really high (after winning the pole) because this morning when we woke up, we did not expect this speed.”
Palou, who also won the “500” pole in 2023, earned the 15th NTT P1 Award of his INDYCAR SERIES career. He became the first reigning “500” winner to claim the pole since Helio Castroneves in 2010.
The Spaniard will see a fellow Indianapolis 500 champion alongside him on the front row, as 2016 winner Alexander Rossi qualified second – his best qualifying performance among his 11 “500” starts – at 231.990 in the No. 20 Java House Chevrolet of Ed Carpenter Racing.
Another driver earning his career-best Indy 500 start, Team Penske newcomer David Malukas, will start on the outside of the front row after qualifying third at 231.877 mph in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet. Malukas’ previous-best start was seventh last year for AJ Foyt Racing.
Felix Rosenqvist qualified fourth at 231.375 in the No. 60 SiriusXM Honda of Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian. It’s the second-best “500” start in Rosenqvist’s career, but the Swede couldn’t hide his disappointment after leading the opening round of qualifying (232.599) and the Fast 12 round (232.065), entering the Firestone Fast Six as the pole favorite.
“There was quite a big gap from run two to run three,” Rosenqvist said. “It felt good. It just didn’t seem like there was that much in it. It just didn’t go as fast.
“It’s a shame. It’s kind of déjà vu for me. I’ve had this three times now when I’ve gone into the last round and had to finish it off. It’s kind of like a curse. But it is what it is. We’ll just focus on the race.”
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.
Six different teams are represented in the first two rows of the starting grid for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” on Sunday, May 24.
Rain washed out PPG Armed Forces Qualifying on Saturday, creating a pressure-packed format of one qualifying attempt per driver per round under sunny skies and air temperatures that climbed into the mid-80s Sunday. All 33 drivers participated in the first round, with the 12 fastest advancing to the Top 12 second round, which whittled the pole contenders to the Firestone Fast Six.
Palou was at a disadvantage in the first round due to his wife, Esther, drawing the 31st position in the qualifying order in the blind draw Friday evening. His attempt took place two hours, 19 minutes after teammate Scott Dixon – who drew the first starting position – made his attempt in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.
Air and track temperatures were around 5 and 10 degrees higher, respectively, for Palou’s run, and he barely earned a transfer to the Top 12 after ending up 11th in the first round with a four-lap average of 231.155. But he climbed to second in the Top 12 at 231.665 behind Rosenqvist due to his Chip Ganassi Racing crew already accustomed to tuning the car for the peak heat of the day.
“I have to say being on the 31st – thanks to my wife, by the way for drawing that number – I think being there allowed us to work on those conditions,” Palou said. “It’s not easy to do everything the way this team is executing.”
Next up is practice from 1-3 p.m. ET Monday (FS1, FOX One, INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls).
The 110th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge is scheduled for Sunday, May 24 (10 a.m. ET, FOX, FOX Deportes, FOX One, INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls).
110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Unofficial Qualification Results May 17, 2026
Rank Car Driver Name C/E/T Lap 1 Lap 2 Lap 3 Lap 4 Total Time Speed Qualified On
1 10 Palou, Alex D/H/F 38.6518 38.7351 38.8190 38.8007 02:35.0066 232.248 Pole Day
2 20 Rossi, Alexander D/C/F 38.6984 38.7867 38.8416 38.8525 02:35.1792 231.990 Pole Day
3 12 Malukas, David D/C/F 38.8387 38.8036 38.8317 38.7809 02:35.2549 231.877 Pole Day
4 60 Rosenqvist, Felix D/H/F 38.8324 38.8981 38.9242 38.9367 02:35.5914 231.375 Pole Day
5 14 Ferrucci, Santino D/C/F 38.9326 39.0114 39.0319 38.9723 02:35.9482 230.846 Pole Day
6 5 O’Ward, Pato D/C/F 39.1120 39.0353 39.0304 39.0441 02:36.2218 230.442 Pole Day
7 8 Simpson, Kyffin D/H/F 38.9509 38.9524 39.0335 38.9861 02:35.9229 230.883 Pole Day
8 23 Daly, Conor D/C/F 38.9505 38.9202 39.0477 39.1206 02:36.0390 230.712 Pole Day
9 3 McLaughlin, Scott D/C/F 38.8132 38.9094 39.1338 39.2736 02:36.1300 230.577 Pole Day
10 4 Collet, Caio D/C/F 38.8168 38.9458 39.2303 39.1631 02:36.1560 230.539 Pole Day
11 9 Dixon, Scott D/H/F 38.9861 39.0478 39.1189 39.1334 02:36.2862 230.347 Pole Day
12 76 VeeKay, Rinus D/C/F 38.7701 39.0720 39.3672 39.5955 02:36.8048 229.585 Pole Day
13 75 Sato, Takuma D/H/F 38.8096 39.0164 38.9970 39.0247 02:35.8477 230.995 Day 1
14 33 Carpenter, Ed D/C/F 38.8228 38.8999 38.9634 39.2732 02:35.9593 230.829 Day 1
15 06 Castroneves, Helio D/H/F 38.9344 38.9609 39.0517 39.0247 02:35.9717 230.811 Day 1
16 21 Rasmussen, Christian D/C/F 38.9150 39.0450 39.0507 39.0327 02:36.0434 230.705 Day 1
17 66 Armstrong, Marcus D/H/F 38.9577 39.0729 39.0640 38.9518 02:36.0464 230.701 Day 1
18 28 Ericsson, Marcus D/H/F 38.8881 39.1244 38.9797 39.0768 02:36.0690 230.667 Day 1
19 7 Lundgaard, Christian D/C/F 38.9735 39.0041 39.1059 38.9894 02:36.0729 230.661 Day 1
20 26 Power, Will D/H/F 39.0566 39.1165 39.1005 39.0587 02:36.3323 230.279 Day 1
21 6 Siegel, Nolan D/C/F 39.1381 39.0565 39.0580 39.1243 02:36.3769 230.213 Day 1
22 45 Foster, Louis D/H/F 38.9572 39.1501 39.1178 39.1522 02:36.3773 230.212 Day 1
23 31 Hunter-Reay, Ryan D/C/F 39.0840 39.0919 39.1161 39.0923 02:36.3843 230.202 Day 1
24 2 Newgarden, Josef D/C/F 39.0500 39.1264 39.1343 39.0991 02:36.4098 230.165 Day 1
25 18 Grosjean, Romain D/H/F 39.0827 39.2411 39.1688 39.1717 02:36.6643 229.791 Day 1
26 27 Kirkwood, Kyle D/H/F 39.1156 39.2012 39.2521 39.2207 02:36.7896 229.607 Day 1
27 11 Legge, Katherine D/C/F 39.0628 39.1641 39.2822 39.3837 02:36.8928 229.456 Day 1
28 47 Schumacher, Mick D/H/F 39.1352 39.1969 39.2847 39.2801 02:36.8969 229.450 Day 1
29 24 Harvey, Jack D/C/F 39.1493 39.1689 39.2581 39.4871 02:37.0634 229.207 Day 1
30 15 Rahal, Graham D/H/F 39.1781 39.2461 39.3143 39.4551 02:37.1936 229.017 Day 1
31 19 Hauger, Dennis D/H/F 39.2606 39.2198 39.3836 39.3536 02:37.2176 228.982 Day 1
32 51 Abel, Jacob D/C/F 39.2897 39.3580 39.4642 39.6659 02:37.7778 228.169 Day 1
33 77 Robb, Sting Ray D/C/F 39.1902 39.5668 39.9292 40.2039 02:38.8901 226.572 Day 1
34 60 Rosenqvist, Felix D/H/F 38.7389 38.7718 38.8280 38.7902 02:35.1289 232.065 Pole Day Withdrawn – Fast 6
35 10 Palou, Alex D/H/F 38.7838 38.8828 38.8952 38.8351 02:35.3969 231.665 Pole Day Withdrawn – Fast 6
36 12 Malukas, David D/C/F 38.8709 38.8957 38.9164 38.8341 02:35.5171 231.486 Pole Day Withdrawn – Fast 6
37 14 Ferrucci, Santino D/C/F 38.9211 38.8914 38.9839 38.9816 02:35.7780 231.098 Pole Day Withdrawn – Fast 6
38 5 O’Ward, Pato D/C/F 38.9194 38.9251 38.9123 39.0279 02:35.7847 231.088 Pole Day Withdrawn – Fast 6
39 20 Rossi, Alexander D/C/F 38.8560 39.0184 38.9850 38.9813 02:35.8407 231.005 Pole Day Withdrawn – Fast 6
40 60 Rosenqvist, Felix D/H/F 38.6293 38.6996 38.7216 38.7225 02:34.7730 232.599 Day 1 Withdrawn – Top 12
41 12 Malukas, David D/C/F 38.7875 38.8412 38.8594 38.8092 02:35.2973 231.813 Day 1 Withdrawn – Top 12
42 23 Daly, Conor D/C/F 38.8269 38.8292 38.8497 38.8378 02:35.3436 231.744 Day 1 Withdrawn – Top 12
43 3 McLaughlin, Scott D/C/F 38.7259 38.8165 38.9125 38.9703 02:35.4252 231.623 Day 1 Withdrawn – Top 12
44 76 VeeKay, Rinus D/C/F 38.7594 38.8283 38.9093 38.9496 02:35.4466 231.591 Day 1 Withdrawn – Top 12
45 20 Rossi, Alexander D/C/F 38.7609 38.8899 38.9408 38.8623 02:35.4539 231.580 Day 1 Withdrawn – Top 12
46 4 Collet, Caio D/C/F 38.8384 38.8515 38.9626 38.9097 02:35.5622 231.419 Day 1 Withdrawn – Top 12
47 9 Dixon, Scott D/H/F 38.8153 38.8882 38.9994 38.8646 02:35.5675 231.411 Day 1 Withdrawn – Top 12
Next Event: The 110th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge is scheduled for Sunday, May 24 (10 a.m. ET, FOX, FOX Deportes, FOX One, INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls).
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