IndyCar headed into the 2026 Qualifying session at Laguna Seca with the fight for pole still difficult to call after two different drivers topped practice.
Alex Palou started the season finale strongly, leading Practice 1 ahead of Felix Rosenqvist and Pato O’Ward. Practice 2 then brought another change at the front, as Scott McLaughlin put Team Penske fastest ahead of qualifying, beating Rosenqvist, Palou, David Malukas and Will Power.
With Palou, Rosenqvist and McLaughlin all showing pace across practice, the field headed into Qualifying knowing every lap around Laguna Seca would need to be clean, committed and precise.
Group 1
The 2026 IndyCar Qualifying session began at Laguna Seca with a competitive first group featuring Pato O’Ward, Scott Dixon, Scott McLaughlin, David Malukas, Rinus VeeKay, Alexander Rossi, Kyle Kirkwood, Mick Schumacher, Louis Foster, Kyffin Simpson, Romain Grosjean and Santino Ferrucci.
Teams entered the session with less data than usual, while several drivers continued to report lower grip levels than expected compared to previous years. Dixon also arrived on the back foot after losing time in opening practice with brake rotor issues.
Foster set an early 1:10.0 on the soft tyre, showing strong pace in the heat of the day. Ferrucci then improved to a 1:09.946 to go fastest in the group, using the extra grip from a fresh set of softs while several rivals, including O’Ward, Kirkwood and McLaughlin, ran on used hards.
Kirkwood also carried intrigue into the session after Andretti made major set-up changes before qualifying, taking direction from teammate Marcus Ericsson’s car as the team searched for more pace.
Malukas tops Group 1 as big names miss out
Ferrucci remained fastest with just over two minutes to go, but the final runs quickly transformed the order as drivers pushed the limits around Laguna Seca.
Schumacher produced one of the most committed laps of the group, using every inch of the track through Turn 6 before jumping to the top with the fastest time of the weekend at that stage. However, the order kept changing as the chequered flag approached.
Malukas then moved ahead, before McLaughlin, Foster, Kirkwood and Rossi all improved in a tightly packed fight for the top six. Kirkwood delivered under pressure after Andretti switched him to a set-up based on Ericsson’s car, while Rossi also did enough to progress.
Dixon tried to rescue his session late on, but a mistake at Turn 5 cost him the time he needed. O’Ward also failed to advance, dealing a blow to his hopes in the fight for second in the championship.
Malukas topped Group 1, with McLaughlin, Kirkwood, Rossi, Foster and Simpson also progressing to the next segment.
Group 2
Group 2 featured Alex Palou, Josef Newgarden, Will Power, Felix Rosenqvist, Marcus Armstrong, Christian Lundgaard, Marcus Ericsson, Dennis Hauger, Christian Rasmussen, Graham Rahal, Caio Collet, Sting Ray Robb and Nolan Siegel.
Palou carried extra intrigue into the session, running a special Chip Ganassi Racing livery inspired by Alex Zanardi on a weekend where the corkscrew honours the former Ganassi champion. The reigning champion had already shown strong pace across practice, and he quickly put himself in the mix again as the group built towards its final runs.
Siegel led with five minutes remaining, ahead of Rasmussen and Palou, before Rasmussen lost a lap for shortcutting the course. Rosenqvist then delivered a huge lap to move fastest with a 1:09.48, while Power jumped to second shortly afterwards.
Palou takes to the top
Palou responded with a stunning 1:09.1, putting clear daylight between himself and the rest of the field. Ericsson got closest with a strong lap of his own, while Rosenqvist and Armstrong kept Meyer Shank Racing firmly in contention.
The final moments of Group 2’s 2026 IndyCar Laguna Seca Qualifying session brought late drama. Collet and Lundgaard both found time at the end of their laps, despite looking unlikely to improve earlier on. Collet advanced with a committed final sector, before Lundgaard grabbed a place by the smallest of margins.
Palou topped Group 2, with Ericsson, Rosenqvist, Armstrong, Collet and Lundgaard also advancing. Power, Siegel, Rasmussen, Newgarden, Rahal, Hauger and Robb were eliminated.
Fast 12
The Fast Twelve got underway with all 12 drivers heading out to find their rhythm around Laguna Seca. Palou started the segment on the hard tyre, using the early phase to build towards a proper push lap, while Rosenqvist quickly moved to the top with a 1:12.5.
Palou’s record at Laguna Seca remained a major storyline, with the champion having never finished off the podium at the circuit. His precision and consistency suited a track that rewards exact car placement and punishes even small mistakes.
McLaughlin also featured near the front in the early order, but Kirkwood soon raised the benchmark. The Andretti driver responded with a 1:11.7, moving ahead with just over seven minutes remaining as the battle for a Fast Six place began to build.
Palou leads the way into the Fast Six
Lundgaard moved to the top with a 1:09 as the Fast Twelve began to build, while Armstrong and Collet also showed strong pace. Malukas, Lundgaard, Rossi, Armstrong and Palou all set early times on softs, with several others still running on the hard tyre.
Palou then delivered another trademark lap around Laguna Seca. While others wrestled their cars over the limit, the five-time champion kept the car precise and smooth, improving to a 1:09.1 and moving to the top of the timesheets.
The final laps brought another tense fight for the top six. Ericsson climbed to fourth, Rossi jumped to third, Kirkwood found enough time to move through, and Malukas responded to secure third. Lundgaard then produced another late improvement, gaining time through the corkscrew to book his place in the Fast Six.
Palou topped the Fast Twelve ahead of McLaughlin and Malukas, with Lundgaard, Rossi and Rosenqvist also advancing. Ericsson missed out, while the remaining drivers dropped out before the final pole shootout at the 2026 IndyCar Laguna Seca Qualifying session.
Fast 6
The Fast Six began with Palou as the clear driver to beat after his dominant pace through the earlier qualifying segments. Rosenqvist also carried a strong chance, having shown speed throughout the weekend and benefiting from access to Palou’s data as a fellow Honda driver.
Lundgaard took a strategic approach and headed out on used softs, protecting two fresh sets of the softer tyre for the race. With a grid penalty already waiting for him, reaching the Fast Six still gave him an important boost before Sunday.
Palou looked on course to continue his Laguna Seca dominance and delivered another strong lap in the 1:09s, but McLaughlin and Rosenqvist both stayed in the fight. Rosenqvist briefly looked capable of taking pole, before McLaughlin produced a superb final lap and crossed the line with a 1:09.436.
The Penske driver denied Palou at the last moment, delivering the exceptional lap needed to beat the five-time champion. Rosenqvist had one final chance but lost time late in the lap and settled for third, while Palou had to accept second after another strong qualifying display.
2026 IndyCar Laguna Seca Qualifying results
