With a two-lap average speed of 174.353 mph, defending NTT IndyCar Series champion Alex Palou took a decisive pole position during Saturday’s (June 6) qualifying for the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway.
Palou was the last to qualify in a field running in reverse order of the points standings. Prior to the Spaniard’s run, provisional pole position belonged to David Malukas, who posted an average speed of 173.244 mph. Palou, however, set a blistering first lap of 174.965 mph and put the field on notice. From there, Palou’s second lap was almost a formality, as only a mistake, mechanical issue or outright crash would bring his average low enough to be threatened by Malukas.
“I don’t know, the team I have around me, it’s incredible,” Palou told FOX when asked how he pulled off such speeds. “My car was on rails today. It was incredible. It’s a place that I’ve struggled the most so far. Hopefully, we can change it tomorrow. I knew this morning that our car was super quick. The No. 10 Honda had a lot of power but I did not really expect to get the pole here today. Just incredible, super proud and I cannot wait for tomorrow.”
Behind Palou and Malukas, Kyle Kirkwood will share the second row with Indianapolis 500 winner Felix Rosenqvist. Scott McLaughlin will line up fifth to the inside of Marcus Armstrong, whose 172.483-mph run looked for a time to be headed toward pole position.
Scott Dixon, Josef Newgarden, Pato O’Ward and Alexander Rossi completed the top 10.
Wind and grip were the stories throughout the session as heavy gusts threatened cars through Gateway’s ideally-flat-out turns 3 and 4. Drivers who had to get off the throttle to keep their cars straight through the second half of each lap were at a marked disadvantage. Luckily for some and not for others, the wind simmered as the session progressed and speeds climbed steadily as more drivers ran, with Mick Schumacher‘s opening run averaging 170.290 mph compared to Palou’s 174.353 mph.
The session unfolded with no incidents or accidents.
Sunday’s (June 7) race will start at 9:30 p.m. ET with coverage on FOX.
Alex is the IndyCar Content Director at Frontstretch, having initially joined as an entry-level contributor in 2021. He also serves as Managing Director of The Asia Cable, a publication focused on the international affairs and politics of the Asia-Pacific region which he co-founded in 2023. With previous experience in China, Japan and Poland, Alex is particularly passionate about the international realm of motorsport and the politics that make the wheels turn - literally - behind the scenes.
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