IndyCar | Qualifying | Detroit | Herta takes pole position ahead of Malukas

It’s time to set the grid for the IndyCar with Qualifying for the Detroit GP, full report and results here. After FP1 and FP2, it could truly be any driver on pole position. Will Alex Palou continue his reign of dominance following his Indy 500 win? Or could we see Kyle Kirkwood take his second pole position of the season?

Scott Dixon and Graham Rahal have six-place grid penalties for unapproved engine changes.

Group 1

Group 1 featured Power, Palou, Lundgaard, McLaughlin, Armstrong, VeeKay, Ericsson, Rosenqvist, Ilott, Simpson, Ferrucci, DeFrancesco, and Daly.

Will Power set the fastest lap in Group 1, with a lap time of 1.00.982s. Alex Palou slotted in behind Power at 1.01.024s.

Unfortunately, Marcus Ericsson missed out on Round 2 by one tenth of a second to Rinus VeeKay, setting a lap time of 1.01.381s. The Dale Coyne racer continued to impress with his qualifying pace this season.

Group 1 IndyCar Detroit GP qualifying results

1. Power
2. Palou
3. Lundgaard
4. McLaughlin
5. Armstrong
6. VeeKay
7. Ericsson
8. Rosenqvist
9. Ilott
10. Simpson
11. Ferrucci
12. DeFrancesco
13. Daly

Group 2

Group 2 featured Herta, Rahal, Malukas, Rasmussen, Kirkwood, Dixon, Foster, Rossi, O’Ward, Abel, Shwartzman, Newgarden, Robb, and Siegel.

Colton Herta showed rapid pace, setting the fastest lap of Group 2 at 1.00.687s. Despite his looming grid penalty, Graham Rahal showed blistering pace. He set the second-fastest lap time at 1.00.711s.

Unfortunately, Pato O’Ward continued to struggle on the streets of Detroit. He was eliminated in Group 2. Josef Newgarden was another big name to be eliminated early, marking Team Penske’s continued performance fluctuations this season.

Group 2 IndyCar Detroit GP qualifying results

1. Herta
2. Rahal
3. Malukas
4. Rasmussen
5. Kirkwood
6. Dixon
7. Foster
8. Rossi
9. O’Ward
10. Abel
11. Shwartzman
12. Newgarden
13. Robb
14. Siegel

Round 2

Round 2 featured Herta, Kirkwood, Malukas, Lundgaard, Palou, Rahal, VeeKay, McLaughlin, Power, Dixon, Armstrong, and Rasmussen.

It was an Andretti 1-2 during Round 2 of qualifying. Herta topped the leaderboard again, setting a lap time of 1.00.456s. Teammate Kyle Kirkwood finished closely behind, setting a lap time of 1.00.523s.

Rahal continued to set fast laps, making his way into the Fast Six. Unfortunately, the remaining Team Penske drivers were eliminated, continuing a disappointing run.

Round 2 IndyCar Detroit GP qualifying results

1. Herta
2. Kirkwood
3. Malukas
4. Lundgaard
5. Palou
6. Rahal
7. VeeKay
8. McLaughlin
9. Power
10. Dixon
11. Armstrong
12. Rasmussen

Fast Six

The Fast Six featured Herta, Malukas, Kirkwood, Lundgaard, Rahal, and Palou.

It was a battle between Colton Herta and David Malukas for pole position. Herta managed to set the fastest lap of the session at 1.00.477s. He qualified on pole position in Detroit for the second year in a row. Malukas will start the race from P2, marking his best starting position of the season.

Graham Rahal continued to show pace during the Fast Six, out-qualifying championship leader Alex Palou. Unfortunately for Rahal, Palou and VeeKay will start on Row 3 after his grid penalty is applied.

Fast Six IndyCar Detroit GP qualifying results

1. Herta
2. Malukas
3. Kirkwood
4. Lundgaard
5. Rahal
6. Palou

Tune in tomorrow for the IndyCar Detroit GP race!

Full IndyCar Qualifying results for the Detroit GP