Indy 500 Qualifying: Marco Andretti takes pole
Marco Andretti has taken pole for the 104th running of the Indianapolis 500, battling strong winds to beat Scott Dixon’s time by 0.017mph and putting the Andretti name on pole at Indy for the first time since grandfather Mario achieved it in 1987.
An impressively consistent run from Takuma Sato saw him go a tad faster on the second lap than on his first and all his laps stayed in the 230mph bracket. Rahal Letterman Lanigan teammate Graham Rahal had to pedal the car at Turn 1 on his final lap and lost momentum.
Rookie Alex Palou in the Dale Coyne Racing-Honda twice hit 240mph down the front straight, and his first lap was the fastest of the session up to that point with 231.901, but he believed his weightjacker stopped working on Lap 3 and he lost pace over the last two laps.
Fellow rookie and the only Chevrolet driver in the field, Rinus VeeKay in the #21 Ed Carpenter Racing was on target to pip Sato until his fourth lap when he just dipped a little below 230.
Scott Dixon in the most trimmed out car in pitlane, ensured the Chip Ganassi Racing-Honda was the first to clock two 231mph laps and moved to the top of the table with an average of 231.051.
James Hinchcliffe’s run in the Andretti Autosport-Honda was disappointing in relative terms, fourth fastest at the time, yet teammate Alexander Rossi had it worse, having to breathe the throttle at both ends of the track by Lap 4, which guaranteed Dixon was at least on the front row.
Ryan Hunter-Reay’s first lap was 0.5mph off Dixon, and while his three subsequent laps were beautifully consistent, it wasn’t enough to avoid bleeding away vital tenths to slip to the second row.
Marco Andretti turned the fastest lap of the session with a 231.826 and like Dixon, he delivered another 231mph lap on his second lap but Laps 2 and 3 were slightly slower than the equivalent from Dixon but he salvaged the situation with a brilliant fourth lap to ensure he edged Dixon by 0.017sec.
| P | Driver | Team | Engine | Lap 1 | Lap 2 | Lap 3 | Lap 4 | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Marco Andretti | Andretti Autosport | Honda | 231.826 | 231.146 | 230.771 | 230.532 | 231.068 |
| 2. | Scott Dixon | Chip Ganassi Racing | Honda | 231.768 | 231.163 | 230.941 | 230.337 | 231.051 |
| 3. | Takuma Sato | Rahal Letterman Lanigan | Honda | 230.805 | 230.916 | 230.659 | 230.520 | 230.725 |
| 4. | Rinus VeeKay | Ed Carpenter Racing | Chevrolet | 231.560 | 230.937 | 230.449 | 229.879 | 230.704 |
| 5. | Ryan Hunter-Reay | Andretti Autosport | Honda | 231.267 | 230.637 | 230.351 | 230.340 | 230.648 |
| 6. | James Hinchcliffe | Andretti Autosport | Honda | 230.395 | 230.050 | 229.527 | 229.509 | 229.870 |
| 7. | Alex Palou | Dale Coyne Racing w/ Team Goh | Honda | 231.901 | 230.364 | 228.083 | 228.398 | 229.676 |
| 8. | Graham Rahal | Rahal Letterman Lanigan | Honda | 230.389 | 230.126 | 229.746 | 227.284 | 229.380 |
| 9. | Alexander Rossi | Andretti Autosport | Honda | 230.708 | 229.911 | 228.593 | 227.748 | 229.234 |
Andretti: Last two laps of quali run are “what we get paid to do”
Marco Andretti took Mario’s advice ahead of Indy pole-winning run
Ranking the top 10 IndyCar drivers of 2021
In an enthralling 2021 IndyCar campaign, the series bounced back from its COVID-19 truncated year prior and series sophomore Alex Palou defeated both the established order and his fellow young guns to clinch a maiden title. It capped a remarkable season with plenty of standout performers
How Marcus Ericsson finally unlocked his potential in IndyCar
Marcus Ericsson enjoyed a breakout year in the IndyCar Series in 2021, winning twice and finishing sixth in points with Chip Ganassi Racing. How did he finally unlock the potential that was masked by five years of toil in Formula 1 with Caterham and Sauber/Alfa Romeo?
Remembering Dan Wheldon and his last and most amazing win
Saturday, Oct. 16th, marks the 10th anniversary Dan Wheldon’s death. David Malsher-Lopez pays tribute, then asks Wheldon’s race engineer from 2011, Todd Malloy, to recall that magical second victory at the Indianapolis 500.
Have Harvey and RLL formed IndyCar’s next winning match-up?
Jack Harvey’s move to Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing sparked plenty of debate, but their combined strength could prove golden, says David Malsher-Lopez.
Why Kyle Kirkwood is America's new IndyCar ace-in-waiting
Kyle Kirkwood, the record-setting junior formula driver, sealed the Indy Lights championship last weekend. But despite an absurdly strong résumé and scholarship money, his next move is far from clear. By David Malsher-Lopez.
2021 IndyCar title is just the start for Ganassi's newest star
Alex Palou has captured Chip Ganassi Racing's 14th IndyCar drivers' championship, and in truly stellar manner. David Malsher-Lopez explains what made the Palou-Ganassi combo so potent so soon.
Why Grosjean's oval commitment shows he's serious about IndyCar
One of motorsport’s worst-kept secrets now out in the open, and Romain Grosjean has been confirmed as an Andretti Autosport IndyCar driver in 2022. It marks a remarkable turnaround after the abrupt end to his Formula 1 career, and is a firm indication of his commitment to challenge for the IndyCar Series title
IndyCar’s longest silly-season is still at fever pitch
The 2021 IndyCar silly season is one of the silliest of all, but it’s satisfying to see so many talented drivers in play – including Callum Ilott. David Malsher-Lopez reports.