Álex Palou wins Indy 500 pole at 232.523 mph

Álex Palou will start the 110th Indianapolis 500 from pole after winning qualifying at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 17, with a four-lap average of 232.248 mph, according to INDYCAR. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver is also the defending winner of the race after taking the 2025 Indianapolis 500. USA Today reported on May 22 that Palou is the first defending Indy 500 champion since Helio Castroneves in 2010 to win the pole the following year. The race is scheduled for Sunday, May 24, with FOX coverage beginning at 10 a.m. ET and the broadcast starting at 12:30 p.m. ET. ### Why does the pole number differ from the one in some summaries? INDYCAR’s official race report listed Palou’s pole-winning average at 232.248 mph in the Firestone Fast Six session on May 17. That is the official qualifying number published by the series for the pole award and starting grid. Some secondary summaries have cited 232.523 mph, but the official INDYCAR report and qualifying coverage identify 232.248 mph as the speed that earned Palou the NTT P1 Award. When figures differ, the series’ published result is the operative number for the pole. ### What exactly did Palou win? Palou won the NTT P1 Award, which goes to the fastest qualifier and sets the first spot on the starting grid. INDYCAR said it was his second career pole for the Indianapolis 500 and came with a $100,000 bonus. The starting position matters at Indianapolis because the field is set by average speed over four laps, not by a single lap. Pole does not decide the race, but it places Palou at the front of the 33-car field for the start. ### Who joins him on the front row? USA Today’s starting-grid report said Alexander Rossi and David Malukas will start alongside Palou on the front row. That gives Chip Ganassi Racing the pole sitter, with two other established oval contenders immediately beside him. INDYCAR’s field notes said Palou’s first Indianapolis 500 pole came in 2023, when he finished fourth in the race. The 2026 pole therefore adds another front-row start to a driver who already has a win and a near-miss at the event. ### Why is this qualifying result notable beyond the speed? USA Today said Palou is the first defending Indianapolis 500 winner to claim the top qualifying spot the following year since Castroneves did it in 2010. That ties Palou’s result to a short list of recent winners who returned with enough pace to lead the next year’s field to green. INDYCAR also said Palou is the only Spanish driver to win the Indianapolis 500 pole. The series has credited him with four NTT INDYCAR SERIES championships, adding to his standing entering Sunday’s race. ### What should viewers watch before the race starts? FOX Sports said its Indianapolis 500 coverage begins at 10 a.m. ET on Sunday, May 24, ahead of the 12:30 p.m. ET race broadcast. A separate FOX preview said the green flag is scheduled for 12:45 p.m. ET. Josef Newgarden was fastest in Carb Day practice on Friday at 228.342 mph, according to the Indianapolis Star and Yahoo Sports, even though he is set to start from the middle of Row 8. That leaves Palou as the pole sitter, but not the only driver bringing headline speed into race weekend. ### What happens next at Indianapolis? The 110th Indianapolis 500 is set for Sunday, May 24, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. FOX and FOX One are carrying the broadcast, according to FOX Sports, and INDYCAR lists the event as the next race on its 2026 schedule. Palou will take the green from pole, with Rossi and Malukas alongside him on the front row.