INDIANAPOLIS — Alex Palou has been the story of the season in IndyCar in 2025 and continued that trend as fastest of Saturday’s opening round of qualifications for the 109th Indianapolis 500.
But Robert Shwartzman of Prema Racing was the story of the day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The Russian rookie from Tel Aviv, Israel placed the No. 83 Chevrolet solidly into Sunday’s Fast 12 with the sixth-fastest speed around the 2.5-mile Indianapolis. Motor Speedway.
Palou’s four-lap qualification average of 233.043 mph in the No. 10 DHL Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing is another example of his great season in IndyCar.
The driver from Spain has won four of the first five races included the last two in a row.
“Amazing day for us,” Palou said. “We struggled a little bit in practice. We were not able to finish a full qualifying run. I mean, like everybody, it was tough conditions today.
“Glad that we got our balance right. We had a ton of speed in the car. It’s been great the comeback we did from last year, I think. Yeah, from both sides, I think HRC and the team. Yeah, really fast cars.
“Looking forward to tomorrow.”
Palou’s effort is not unexpected.
Shwartzman’s four-lap run, however, was a stunner.
He was the fourth driver on the track when qualifications began at 11 a.m. ET following Marcus Ericsson, Pato O’Ward and Kyffin Simpson.
Earlier this week during practice, Shwartzman was struggling for speed but as the week continued, his speed increased, and his confidence grew.
His four laps were extremely consistent. His first lap was 233.230 mph followed by a 233.100 on his second. He finished his four-lap run with a third lap at 232.028 mph and a final lap at 231.984 mph for the four-lap average of 232.534 mph.
It was the only qualification attempt Shwartzman had to make.
“Really good day,” Shwartzman said. “I honestly did not expect it to go that well. We were gradually improving the car step by step. To have such a good run this morning, I was like, ‘OK, this car is really fast.’
“Obviously was really tricky, as I said already before. It’s the toughest I think qualifying of my career. Four laps consecutive, focus, one slight mistake and you’re done. Yeah, definitely it was a big challenge for me.
“I’m happy that I managed to complete all four laps. We’re going to top 12. I think it’s also a good thing it’s the first one of the team. We finally got a top 12, it’s here in Indy. Quite a legendary moment for us. Pretty happy.
“The team did a really good job with engineering and mechanics. Everything was step by step without rushing things, making sure everything is right. I think that’s where it paid off.”
After the 6-hour, 55-minute session concluded, Shwartzman speed placed him sixth on the scoring pylon and guaranteed him a spot in the Fast 12 that will hit the track on Sunday at 4 p.m. ET. The fastest six drivers from that session will return to fight it out for the first two positions, including the prized Indy 500 Pole.
The Fast Six will be from 6:25 to 6:55 p.m. to end Sunday’s Pole Day at the Indy 500.
Last year’s pole winner, Scott McLaughlin of Team Penske, was second at 233.013 mph in the No. 3 Chevrolet. His two-time and back-to-back Indianapolis 500 winning teammate, Josef Newgarden, was third.
O’Ward was fourth at 232.820 mph for four laps in the No. 5 Chevrolet for Arrow McLaren followed by five-time Indy 500 pole winner Scott Dixon’s four-lap average of 232.659 mph and Shwartzman’s 232.584.
The remaining six drivers in the Fast 12 included David Malukas of AJ Foyt Racing at 232.546 mph, Felix Rosenqvist of Meyer Shank Racing at 232.449 mph, Takuma Sato of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing at 232.415 mph.
Rounding out the Fast 12 was Will Power’s 232.144 in the No. 12 Chevrolet for Team Penske, Marcus Ericsson’s No. 28 Honda for Andretti Global at 232.132 mph and Christian Lundgaard’s 231.809 mph for Arrow McLaren.
There were two major crashes on Saturday. The first came in the morning practice session when Meyer Shank Racing’s Marcus Armstrong slammed into the Turn 1 wall. The Honda slid down the track and made a second hit in the Turn 2 wall.
Armstrong was put on a stretcher as he was loaded into the ambulance, but was later checked, cleared and released from the IU Health Medical Center in the infield of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
His car was destroyed, and he returned to the track late in the qualifying session but was not fast enough to be locked into the Top 30. He is one of four drivers that will have to fight it out for the final three positions in Last Chance Qualifying at 5:15 p.m. ET.
“It’s obviously hugely disappointing what happened this morning,” Armstrong said. “We had a very fast car. I think Felix demonstrated that. I think he got the quickest lap of the day. He is P7 or something now. I think him and I were pretty much the same.
“I don’t know why, honestly, I lost the car so suddenly. You could argue a bunch of things. Ultimately, we put a setup on the car that we thought was going to be reasonably conservative for the conditions, but ultimately that wasn’t the case.
“Then massive credit to them, to Meyer Shank Racing, for putting our road course car together so quickly. I think we circulated at 229. We didn’t even have telemetry on the first runs, we don’t know whether COP (Center of Pressure) or ride heights are or anything. That second run was a bit like, yeah, we’ll see.
“Massive credit to them for putting the car together.”
The second was a brutal crash on Colton Herta’s qualification attempt.
On Herta’s first lap, his car did a half-spin in Turn 1 and contacted the SAFER Barrier. The car overturned and slid along the track and made a secondary impact with the SAFER Barrier on top of the car.
With sparks flying as the car skidded upside down through the South Chute wall, it finally came to a rest in Turn 2.
Herta was assisted by the AMR IndyCar Safety Team, cleared and released.
Andretti Global prepared Herta’s backup car and he returned to the track late in the qualification session, but he qualified 29th at 230.192 mph.
Prior to this year, Herta’s average starting position was 2.7.
“Yeah, it sucks,” Herta said. “I think from our standpoint of where we want to be, what we want to contend with, we’re not happy just making the show. We want to fight for the pole; we want to be in the Fast 12. When we don’t get the chance to do that, it’s pretty disappointing.
“What a heroic effort by the guys. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like that on any car. Bare chassis, bare tub in four and a half hours to a complete car. The only thing that we transferred over was the engine. Everything else was destroyed.
“To have a car that not only runs but is safe, the balance is right, in that amount of time, I don’t even know what to say. It was their day.
“Me and Nathan (O’Rourke, engineer) tried our hardest to take us out of the show. They kept us in it, so…”1
Graham Rahal was the last driver to survive the marathon qualification session, making the field in 30th position. But his speed of 229.863 mph in the No. 15 Honda was another major disappointment for the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing driver.
But for the first time in three years, Rahal won’t have to endure the last chance qualifications.
“At least I can sleep tonight,” Rahal said. “But this place has been a killer to me.”
The four drivers in that session include Marco Andretti, Rinus VeeKay, who had previously never qualified outside of the first two rows for the Indy 500, Armstrong and rookie Jacob Abel in the No. 51 Honda.
It’s the third straight year the No. 51 will be in Last Chance Qualifications.
Conor Daly was the last driver to make a qualification attempt and was on pace to race his way into the Fast 12. The gun sounded on Daly’s final lap as the crowd waited in anticipation to see if Daly’s run would get him into the Fast 12.
It was a 231.725 mph four-lap average, just shy of Lundgaard’s 231.809 four-lap run.
“Honestly, we had a wild day,” Daly said. “Honestly our first run the whole front wing being wrong was crazy because we obviously have to go to tech before we run, too. It was kind of a shame there.
“Yeah, we had to come back. In the middle of the day, didn’t quite have exactly what we needed. We trimmed out for the last run just to try to stay above where we needed to be.
“I did not get the weight jacker back to the right position before turn one in the last lap. It was definitely my fault. The team deserved to be in the 12. You just got to be perfect here.
“I was trying a few different things to be as consistent as possible. Just happened to not get the weight jacker back in time. Yeah, that cost us the 12.
“But a good bounce back, for sure, for our group, definitely.”
Lundgaard had made it and will now have a shot at the Indy 500 Pole if he can advance out of the Fast 12.
“After the first run, we weren’t really happy,” Lundgaard explained. “On the second run, we made a massive improvement. I was much more comfortable and able to commit a lot more. It paid off. I definitely didn’t think the lap speed was going to stay. There were plenty of fast cars in the field.
“We’re really happy with the outcome and we get to do it again tomorrow.”
