Alex Palou clinches pole after rescheduled Indianapolis 500 qualifying

Alex Palou will start first in the 110th Indianapolis 500 after qualifying put the Chip Ganassi Racing driver on pole for Sunday's race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. IndyCar said the pole was Palou's second for the event after his first in 2023, and it came one year after he won the race itself. Honda said Palou put the No. 10 car on top in the final qualifying session, with Alexander Rossi and David Malukas completing the front row. The race is scheduled for May 24 with a 33-car field. ### How did Palou end up on pole again at Indianapolis? Alex Palou earned the top starting spot with a four-lap average that kept him ahead of the rest of the Fast 6 in the final round of qualifying, according to IndyCar. IndyCar said Palou also won the Indianapolis 500 pole in 2023, making this his second at the Brickyard. The Spaniard also became the first reigning Indianapolis 500 winner to claim the pole for the next year's race since Helio Castroneves in 2010, IndyCar said. Honda said the pole came in the No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. ### Who joins him on the front row? Alexander Rossi qualified second at 231.990 mph in the No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet, while David Malukas qualified third at 231.877 mph in the No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet, IndyCar said. (indycar.com) IndyCar and Honda both listed Felix Rosenqvist fourth after leading the first two rounds of qualifying before the final shootout. (indycar.com) Rossi's run was his best qualifying performance in 11 Indianapolis 500 starts, IndyCar said. Malukas' third-place start is also a career-best Indy 500 qualifying result, according to IndyCar's driver-by-driver recap. ### Why was this qualifying session described as rescheduled? Indianapolis Motor Speedway had originally set Indianapolis 500 qualifying for May 16-17, according to the event schedule. (indycar.com) The decisive qualifying action that set the pole took place Sunday, May 17, while Honda's announcement was issued Monday, May 18. Monday's track activity then shifted back to practice, and that session was interrupted by a multi-car crash and later canceled for the rest of the day because of weather, WISH-TV reported. The sequence left the qualifying result and the post-qualifying penalties to dominate the latest race-week developments. (indianapolismotorspeedway.com) ### What happened at the back of the field? Caio Collet and Jack Harvey were moved to the rear of the 33-car grid after technical violations were found in post-qualifying inspection, IndyCar said. IndyCar's recap said both drivers originally earned higher starting positions before their cars failed inspection. (wishtv.com) Dennis Reinbold and Larry Foyt said Monday that the violations were not intended to give Harvey or Collet a competitive advantage, according to an Associated Press report published by WTHR. The penalties left the pair in the final two starting spots for Sunday's race. (indycar.com) ### What else changed during practice week? Alexander Rossi crashed in Monday practice along with Pato O'Ward and Romain Grosjean, WISH-TV reported. IndyCar later said Rossi underwent procedures for minor finger and ankle injuries and intended to return to the car on Friday. The Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge is scheduled for Sunday, May 24, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (wthr.com) IndyCar's event page and Honda's race release said Palou will lead the field to green, and Honda said Fox's broadcast begins at 10 a.m. ET. (indianapolismotorspeedway.com) (wishtv.com)