Marco Andretti kicked LCQ, Alex Palou the fastest in Indy 500 Saturday qualification

Continuing the theme of the 2025 season, Alex Palou was the fastest man on Saturday, reaching 233.043 MPH for an average during four laps. He will be the last driver on the right track tomorrow when the 12 best qualifications will try to make their way in Fast 6.

Scott McLaughlin, Josef Newgarden, Pato O’Ward, Scott Dixon, Robert Schwartzman, David Malukas, Felix Rosenqvist, Takuma Sato, Will Power, Marcus Ericsson and Christian Rosenqvist, Takuma Sato, Will Power, Marcus Ericsson, and Christian Lundgaard.

Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing

Photo of: Penske Entertainment

However, the biggest story is on the other side of the grid. Avoiding another experience from the Bump Day, Graham Rahal has been getting little by being part of the last chance qualifier of only 0.004 MPH. The driver on the other side of this was Marco Andretti, who lacked time in his efforts to leave at the very end.

Andretti will be joined in the last quay of Marcus Armstrong, Jacob Abel and Rinus Veekay.

“Two of the guys who ran there at the very end – Rinus and Marco – are two of the guys I respect the most here,” said Rahal. “These are guys who were exceptionally fast and extremely talented there. And so you never know. I think we have improved our car. A hint of caps at team n ° 15 because this day did not start well. You knew it.

“If we had had another shot, I think, honestly, we would have gone faster. But the reality of the situation is that our guys have kept their composure today, the head lowered by everyone. This beer will taste well this evening. I was just praying that it happens. Thank you very much to the team for having realized it.”

Graham Rahal, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

Photo of: Penske Entertainment

Qualification

Ericsson was the first pilot on the right track, reaching 232,132 MPH during a four -round race, but it was O’Ward who established the first reference to 232.820 MPH.

There were several nerve racing cars while they were fighting against strong winds, but most were able to hang on to it – the keyword being the most. Colton Herta was not as lucky. The World Pilot of Andretti in turn turned 1 in his first flying round, completely upside down in a frightening wreck. Fortunately, he was fine, but the team was forced to take out the rescue car. Impressive, it was not the last time we saw it on the right track today.

While Rahal was pushing a sigh of relief at the end of the day, this was not the case after his first round. He has struck the team by radio: “I have no catch. The handle is absolutely nothing. I am struggling like hell. The car is everywhere.”

Felix Rosenqvist went faster than anyone on both and Tour 2, but he was forced to lift a little in the third round. If he had been able to maintain, he would have easily been the fastest man to IMS.

O’Ward stayed at the top until the 25th pilot in the qualification order withdrawn on the right track – the chief of the Palou championship. He exploded at the top with the first race of 233 MPH and stayed there for the rest of the day.

Conor Daly, who wrote a solid turn of 231.596 MPH, in fact had his first round prohibited after a short-up-up inspection.

Helio Castroneves and Josef Newgarden both moved, who withdrew from their first round. After everyone had the opportunity to go out, Jacob Abel, Graham Rahal and Rinus Veekay were the slowest cars that had really reduced time. Rahal was later dragged above the danger area, but it was not really a stamp.

Alexander Rossi was the first driver to take a second race, trying to hit the top 12 but in vain. After Power was removed from the line, the track was a little assidant because there was a lull in the action. While things resumed, one of those who made a great improvement was Kyle Larson, who jumped from 27th to 16th, reaching 231,326 MPH.

The last hour

Conor Daly, Juncos Hollinger Racing

Photo of: Penske Entertainment

The session entered the last hour with increasingly desperate temperatures and drivers. Ed Carpenter came a few centimeters from the wall while he was pushing his car in the top 15, temporarily.

But the driver on the right track after him was completely the story of return: within five hours of a reversal upside down, Herta returned to the track in her rescue car.

Herta dangerously close to the late wall, but he achieved a 230.192 MPH race, putting himself 29th, just inside the field. He hit his teammate Marco Andretti, and apparently did the whole race without being able to use the weight jacker to help the balance of the car.

While the stopwatch fell at less than an hour, Christian Lundgaard was the last driver inside the Top 12, because Rahal was now on the bubble in 30th.

Another impressive return involved Marcus Armstrong, who had to undergo concussion protocols after a massive accident during Saturday morning training. He was cleared and after changing a road car from Indy GP, Armstrong made his first qualification race with only 45 minutes during the day. Unfortunately, the race was canceled because the speed was simply not there.

Rossi remained the first pilot outside the Top 12 and the only Hope Ed Carpenter Racing had in the Top 12, but he failed to improve his previous time. Meanwhile, Sato and Malukas were able to make slight improvements, further strengthening their position in the Top 12.

Ferrucci had his race canceled after a massive elevator during his second round at turn 2, but fortunately, he kept the car out of the wall.

Andretti is missing and Daly goes for that

Trying to drag himself out of the fall area, Andretti returned, but did not miss 0.004 MPH. Veekay and Armstrong both brought their shopping while Andretti’s team rushed to have another blow.

Unfortunately for them, they never had the opportunity because Daly beat them on the track. Daly tried to make her way in the Top 12 for Juncos Hollinger Racing, improving from 21 to 13th and simply missing the progress.

“I really wanted to get this fast 12,” said Daly. “I investigated by holding the sixth speed on Tour 1 and 2 and it worked for these two laps in the middle. But, did not go up the weight weight for the bend 1 in the last round. Literally, the team deserves to be in the fast 12, but I made the mistake of trying to push it too much and not put the weight of weight in time.

For those who follow Larson’s attempt to finally finish the Double Indy 500 / COKE 600 ‘double, he qualified 21st and will start from the outside of row 7 for the 109th race of the Indianapolis 500.

On Sunday, fast qualifications 12 will start at 4 p.m. HNE, followed by the LCQ at 5:15 p.m. and the fast shooting for the post at 6:25 p.m..

Indianapolis 500 photos – Qualification 1