Christian Lundgaard stormed to a brilliant first IndyCar pole on the Indianapolis road course for Rahal Letterman Lanigan, beating Arrow McLaren’s Felix Rosenqvist by just 0.0027 seconds.
Qualifying was unusual, as overnight rain – with more threatening to fall throughout the day – had cleared any rubber from the surface and, in a scrappy session, only two of the top eight drivers in the points made it through to the Fast Six battle for pole.
"What a great day to be in America."
Listen to @lundgaardoff's radio after Christian got his first career @INDYCAR pole. #INDYGP pic.twitter.com/SQUxlmDM4k
— INDYCAR on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) May 12, 2023
Lundgaard had been second fastest in both of Friday’s practice sessions, and has history at this track after a one-off IndyCar appearance in 2021 yielded a fourth-place start on his debut.
A fortnight ago, Lundgaard bagged the struggling RLL team’s first top 10 start of the year at Barber, and Friday’s pole was followed with team-mate Jack Harvey taking fourth in a resurgent performance for the team.
Rosenqvist had saved tyres to have a final go at pole and was shaping up for a lap that was quicker all the way to the line but he missed out by the most outrageous of margins.
He can be consoled by his Texas pole, and the fact he’s started in the top 10 at every race this year.
Alex Palou had been strong in practice and took third for Ganassi, giving himself a good chance to gain points on his championship rivals, who all start behind him.
Harvey has had an abysmal IndyCar run having qualified 19th, 28th, 15th and 24th so far this year, but made up for that at a track he’s scored a podium on and driven well at in the past. His place on the second row is a great chance for him to turn his difficult spell around.
The second McLaren of Pato O’Ward took fifth after saving his tyres in Q2 didn’t quite turn into the pace he wanted to go for pole, but it’s still a strong start for the race.
Long Beach winner Kyle Kirkwood had a lap less on his tyres after a pit lane penalty in Q2, only making it through to the Fast Six by a hair.
Still, a sixth-place start looks good after he was the only Andretti car to make it out of Q1 in a shock result for the team that won both races on this track last year.
Romain Grosjean was frustrated.
He showed his emotions after not advancing to the Fast 12. #INDYCAR
📺 : @Peacock pic.twitter.com/xHwS9uKalq
— INDYCAR on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) May 12, 2023
IndyCar’s best 2023 qualifier Romain Grosjean, on pole here twice before, was ninth in the second Q1 group and will start 18th.
After his lap, Grosjean could be seen waving his arms angrily, swearing towards his Andretti team’s timing stand and said “three races now, come on” – but it’s unclear exactly what he was referring to.
The winner of this race in the wet last year, Colton Herta, will start 14th – a grid spot that, remarkably, he has won his last two IndyCar races from.
Behind Kirkwood, Marcus Ericsson was the first of the Ganassi cars that didn’t make the Fast Six in seventh, having been dumped out by Kirkwood in Q2 by 0.0288s.
Ericsson is the championship leader heading into the race and like team-mate Scott Dixon has struggled at this track in qualifying while Palou has been able to prevail.
Graham Rahal was the only Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing driver not to make the Fast Six in eighth at a track he’s been strong at in the past.
😱😱😱😱@scottdixon9 hangs on and advances to the Fast 12#INDYCAR pic.twitter.com/LWnlPNtk76
— HPD-North American Motorsport (@HondaRacing_HPD) May 12, 2023
Dixon had one of the best saves you’ll see all season to make it out of the first group and instantly better his 16.71 average starting spot on this track since the aeroscreen era began in 2020.
He’s upped his average starting spot from 11.05 in 2022 to six after five races this year, and will line up ninth for Saturday’s race ahead of Alexander Rossi.
A disappointed Rossi – annoyed at regularly qualifying around 10th-12th – was also the only one of his team not to make the Fast Six for McLaren.
The top rookie in the field, Ganassi’s Marcus Armstrong, and Penske’s Will Power rounded out the top 12.
Josef Newgarden starts 13th and was absolutely robbed as Benjamin Pedersen spun just as Newgarden was starting his final lap in the first Q1 qualifying group.
The yellow flag meant Newgarden had to back off and he had to watch as Ericsson put him on the bubble and then the last car in the group, Rosenqvist, put Newgarden out by 0.0059s.
Newgarden’s team-mate Scott McLaughlin, IndyCar’s most recent race winner, lamented the fact he and the team got the handling balance wrong on his car as he joined Newgarden in being dumped out early. He will start 16th.
Qualifying Results
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Lundgaard takes brilliant first IndyCar pole at Indy road course - The Race
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