Alex Palou, driver of Chip Ganassi Racing, has achieved pole position for the race Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix, held at Barber Motorsports Park. The reigning champion of the IndyCar Series recorded a time of 1:06.2341, thus achieving his thirteenth career pole and the second at this circuit.
Palou expressed satisfaction with his performance, joking about the number of poles he has achieved throughout his career. “It’s not a good number,” he commented. “We hope to change that tomorrow. Today I had one of the best cars I’ve driven, very well balanced,” he added.
The second place went to David Malukas of Team Penske, who was very close, with a time just 0.1137 seconds slower. Driver Graham Rahal, with a set of used tires, achieved a respectable third position with a time of 1:06.5181.
The details of the qualifying
During the qualifying session, most drivers opted for some warm-up laps so that their vehicles would run on new tires afterward. Rahal, for his part, chose the strategy of staying on track with used tires to save a fresh set for the race.
With less than a minute remaining in the session, Palou marked a lap that put him at the front with authority. For his part, Romain Grosjean experienced a small incident at turn 9 but was able to complete a quick lap with a time of 1:06.8363.
Group of highlighted drivers
The qualifying began with a dramatic touch, as Will Power had an accident in turn 5, which caused a red flag interruption. After restarting, Palou demonstrated his speed, marking an impressive time.
The drivers who managed to qualify for the final round include Malukas, Armstrong, and Grosjean, while Santino Ferrucci missed out, losing access to the final phase by just 0.0117 seconds.
The race promises to be an exciting spectacle with Palou in the lead, despite the intense competition represented by Malukas and Rahal.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
