Round 1, Group 1
Four-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves went out early on reds and logged a 1:06.379 to lead the charts.
On the slower blacks, Grosjean went fastest with a 1:06.2666 before the switch to reds for everyone. Dixon, Castroneves, Newgarden, Kirkwood and Rossi completed the top 6 before the final laps started.
Seven tenths covered the top 11 at that stage.
The first 1:05 was logged by Josef Newgarden as he did a 1:05.8743 to go fastest. The two-time champion went even quicker as a 1:05.5883 saw him top the session.
Grosjean, Rossi, Kirkwood, Dixon and VeeKay also advanced. Less than two tenths covered the top 6.
Championship leader Marcus Ericsson missed out as his former F1 rival Grosjean bumped him out at the very last. Ilott, Malukas, Rahal, Castroneves, Robb and Pedersen got knocked out with the Swede.
Round 1, Group 2
Daly, De Francesco and Canapino immediately went out on reds. The Canadian in the Andretti Autosport placed P3 on the first runs, with Daly in P6.
Penske’s Scott McLaughlin logged a 1:06.2689 to be quickest before they all switched to the reds. Palou, DeFrancesco, Herta, O’Ward and Daly rounded out the top 6 before the 14 drivers went out again.
Christian Lundgaard was left frustrated as former F2 rival Marcus Armstrong blocked him on a fast lap. The Kiwi was penalised and lost his two best times.
The P1 man in final practice, Alex Palou, smashed in a 1:05.5871 to post the quickest time across the two groups. O’Ward, McLaughlin, Lundgaard, Rosenqvist and Power joined him in the fast 12.
Herta, Pagenaud, DeFrancesco, Daly, Canapino, Harvey, Armstrong and Ferrucci got bumped. The AJ Foyt Racing never got going because of mechanical gremlins.
Round 2
Fighting for track position on out laps, VeeKay and Power almost collided on multiple occasions after the Dutchman broke the gentleman’s agreement by overtaking cars.
It was used reds at the start for the CGRs of Dixon and Palou, and they used them to go P1 and P3. The New Zealander did a 1:06.3498.
McLaughlin split them in his Penske, with teammate Newgarden P4. Grosjean and Kirkwood completed the top 6 ahead of the final attempts.
O’Ward, Power, Rosenqvist, VeeKay, Lundgaard and Rossi completed the order.
On an out lap with his sticker reds, Kyle Kirkwood spun on the exit of turn 3 but managed to save it from going in the gravel. However, he admitted to damage in a post-qualifying interview that took him out of contention due to a loss of downforce.
Once again it was Alex Palou flying. A 1:05.8386 was the first in the 1:05s in the session.
Andretti Autosport’s Romain Grosjean clocked the fastest time of the season as a 1:05.6829 put him ahead of O’Ward and McLaughlin. Palou, an impressive Lundgaard and Dixon also made it through.
There was big moments from Rinus VeeKay and Will Power respectively at the end.
The young Dutch driver had a massive slide at turn 2 and ended up running through the gravel but avoided the wall. Power went off at the turn 5 hairpin as he went in too deep.
Newgarden, Rosenqvist, VeeKay, Rossi, Power and Kirkwood got bumped out.
Fast 6
A single lap on his first set of used reds saw Grosjean put down a 1:06.0289, closely followed by O’Ward.
Lundgaard, Palou, McLaughlin and Dixon rounded out the order with 3 minutes left.
A 1:05:9515 from McLaughlin put him top, but he was beaten seconds later by O’Ward as the Arrow McLaren logged a 1:05.9382.
However, Romain Grosjean delivered on his final lap as a 1:05.8396 gave him his second pole of the year. It’s Andretti’s third P1 Award in qualifying in the first four races.
Photo credit: Penske Entertainment | Karl Zemlin
Behind the Frenchman, Palou pipped O’Ward to 2nd on the grid. McLaughlin, Dixon and Lundgaard complete the top 6 for tomorrow.
