Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Speedway, Ind.) — Yes, again.
Alex Palou, the defending Indianapolis 500 winner and four-time INDYCAR champion who seems to win all the big events these days in INDYCAR, captured the Indy 500 pole Sunday.
No surprise there. Unless you’re Alex Palou.
“Very surprised,” Palou said in his news conference after winning his second career Indy 500 pole. “We did not have the speed. Even on Fast Friday [practice two days ago], we tried and tried and tried to get extra velocity. It was OK.”
It definitely was greater than OK on Sunday when it counted most. Listed below are my takeaways:
1. Rosenqvist disappointment
Felix Rosenqvist posted the quickest four-lap qualifying run of the day at 232.599 mph. However that got here within the top-12 session that decided the six drivers who competed for the pole.
Rosenqvist might solely muster a four-lap common of 231.375 mph within the Quick Six spherical, whereas Palou posted a qualifying velocity of 232.248 mph, adopted by Alexander Rossi (231.990) and David Malukas (231.877).
Rosenqvist had been quickest in early rounds in previous years at Indy, and this one was simply one other disappointment for the Meyer Shank Racing driver.
“I’ve been so shut so many occasions so it’s type of annoying that I’m not in a position to do it,” Rosenqvist mentioned advised me after his run. “Not less than I did the run I might with what we had. There was not way more in it.”
2. Notable Qualifiers
Nobody anticipated pole-winning runs from Mick Schumacher and Katherine Legge. However there have been loads of eyes on every of them of their qualifying runs.
Schumacher, the previous F1 driver and son of seven-time F1 champion Michael Schumacher, will begin twenty eighth in his first Indy 500 as a rookie at Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.
“Total, it’s been nice,” Schumacher advised me and different reporters after his laps. “It’s been step-by-step, and that’s what you need you actually need out right here. You wish to construct the boldness. … Sadly, we didn’t fairly hit the [fast] window right here.”
Mick Schumacher will begin twenty eighth in his first Indy 500.
Legge will begin twenty seventh as she makes an attempt to do the Indy 500-Coke 600 double subsequent Sunday.
“The workforce has accomplished an outstanding job getting me a automotive that’s quick and cozy in regular circumstances,” Legge advised me and different reporters after getting out of her HMD Motorsports automotive that’s being fielded as a part of a partnership with A.J. Foyt Racing. “I really feel we’ll have a extremely strong race automotive.”
3. Rossi Quietly Assured
When Alexander Rossi talks about his victory within the 2016 Indianapolis 500, he signifies that he plans that it gained’t be his solely win within the race.
The ECR Racing driver will begin second subsequent Sunday, and has had a quiet confidence about him all week, regardless that he had an engine expire earlier within the week in apply.
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“This yr has been somewhat little bit of failed to satisfy expectations in some areas and exceeded in others, however internally we’re acting at a a lot greater stage and doing a greater job than we had been final yr,” Rossi mentioned in his post-qualifying information convention.
4. No crashes?
INDYCAR drivers made it by means of 4 days of apply and a full qualifying day with out anybody having to go to the infield medical middle due to a crash.
It’s uncommon to go a full week with out having no less than one automotive considerably broken.
“This entire grid is fairly rattling good, man,” Santino Ferrucci advised me after he certified fifth for the Indy 500. “You’re seeing lots of wheeling on the market.”
Sturdy driving was on show as no main crashes by means of 5 days of being on observe.
Rossi mentioned it definitely isn’t as a result of the vehicles are lower than a handful.
“It is not simpler, I can promise you that,” Rossi mentioned. “That was one of many tougher qualifying days I’ve had round right here.”
4 ½. What’s Subsequent?
INDYCAR groups get two hours to apply Monday after which get a ultimate two-hour apply Friday (Carb Day) earlier than the race Sunday. The Friday slate features a live performance and the Wienie 500.
Most of the drivers who had been pleased with their vehicles in apply in race trim might be glad to again to the place they’ve velocity. Groups get further increase for qualifying, and that appeared to upset most of the vehicles, together with that of two-time Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden, who will begin twenty fourth.
“I might inform from the start of the week [qualifying would not be good],” Newgarden advised me and different reporters after his laps. “You realize very early at this place. Race trim might be a unique dialog.”
