Alex Palou wins Indy 500 pole

Alex Palou put himself at the front of the Indianapolis 500 again on Sunday, May 17, winning the pole for the 110th running of the race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver, who won the Indy 500 in 2025, posted a four-lap average of 232.248 mph in the Firestone Fast Six to earn the NTT P1 Award and a $100,000 bonus, according to IndyCar. (indycar.com) The result gives Palou the best possible start as he tries to defend his race victory in the May 24 event. Indianapolis Motor Speedway said he became the first reigning Indy 500 winner to take the pole since Helio Castroneves in 2010. (foxsports.com) ### How unusual is it for the defending winner to take pole? Indianapolis Motor Speedway said Palou is the first reigning winner of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” to win the pole since Castroneves did it in 2010. That puts Sunday’s run in a category that does not come up often at Indy, where race winners and qualifying leaders do not always overlap. (indycar.com) Palou called the run unexpected after the session. “I have no words,” he said, according to IndyCar, which also quoted him saying the result “just feels incredible.” Fox Sports reported Palou also said he was “very surprised” because his team had been searching for more speed earlier in the week. (indianapolismotorspeedway.com) ### Who joins Palou on the front row? Alexander Rossi qualified second and David Malukas qualified third, putting both drivers alongside Palou on the front row for the start. Fox Sports and USA Today listed the same top three after qualifying was completed Sunday. (indianapolismotorspeedway.com) Rossi brings prior Indianapolis 500 pedigree to that row as the 2016 race winner, while Malukas will start from one of the biggest positions of his Indy 500 career. Fox Sports said Palou edged both drivers in the final pole shootout at the 2.5-mile oval. (indycar.com) ### What was the number that decided it? The winning mark was 232.248 mph over four laps, the average speed IndyCar and Fox Sports listed for Palou’s pole run. At Indianapolis, qualifying is decided on four-lap average speed rather than a single lap, making consistency over the full attempt central to the order. (foxsports.com) IndyCar said the pole was Palou’s second career Indianapolis 500 pole. NBC Sports also reported that it was his second time starting first at the Brickyard. ### Was qualifying straightforward this year? (foxsports.com) Sunday’s qualifying came after weather disrupted the weekend schedule. Fox Sports reported bad weather forced the Saturday qualifying session to be postponed a day, adding to the pressure on the condensed Sunday program. Indianapolis Motor Speedway had also expanded the qualifying procedure for the 110th race, adding rounds that narrowed the field to a Top 12 and then a Fast Six to determine the pole. (indycar.com) The speedway said that format update was announced on May 11. ### What happens next before race day? The Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for Sunday, May 24, with Palou leading a 33-car field to green at 12:30 p.m. ET on FOX, according to Fox Sports. IndyCar’s event page lists the race as the 110th running at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Indiana. (foxsports.com) The starting grid is now set, with Palou on pole, Rossi and Malukas on the front row, and the rest of the field locked in behind them for the race weekend’s final buildup. (foxsports.com) (indianapolismotorspeedway.com)