Scott McLaughlin will start from fourth for tomorrow morning’s race at Barber Motorsport Park, while Scott Dixon will start 13th after getting knocked out in the first stage of qualifying.
Q1
Dixon and McLaughlin were both in the Q1 session needing to finish inside the top 6 to progress to the next round of qualifying, the Fast 12.
McLaughlin sat at the top briefly before being bumped off by Pato O’Ward as he completed his lap.
The Kiwi jumped back to the top of the timesheets with less than a minute remaining setting a 1.06.02 minute lap time to finish the session as the leader.
Dixon however was bumped out of the top six, as well as Will Power, meaning they won’t advance tp the fast 12 leaving them to start from 13th and 19th respectively.
Q2
There was a messy moment between a few of the series rookies at the start of Q2, as some were still warming their tyres while others were trying to start their first quick laps
The red flag was brought out with less than a minute remaining with David Malukas and Helio Castroneves both having their own moments.
Castroneves spun on his own, while Malukas dropped a wheel into the dirt before skating off track. Both were outside the top six when it happened.
Romain Grosjean ended the session as the fastest driver, ahead of Colton Herta, and Josef Newgarden.
Fast 12
With 5 minutes remaining in the Fast 12 session, McLaughlin sat outside the top 6.
McLaughlin left setting his lap until late in the session but jumped to second behind O’Ward.
O’Ward would end the session at the top of the timesheets, while, Herta who looked strong early in the session was caught out by a late red flag coming out.
Herta had waited in the lane to go out at the last possible moment to set his final lap, but partway through his final lap Marcus Ericsson found himself parked in the gravel, bringing out the red flag, ending Herta’s lap leaving him to start from 10th.
Fast 6
McLaughlin left it until late in the Fast 6 session to set his lap jumping to third after his first lap on that run, going for a second lap on the tyres but couldn’t improve further.
Rinus VeeKay also left his final run until late in the session, jumping up to the top of the timesheets at the very end of the session to claim pole position.
Veekay will start alongside O’Ward on the front row ahead of Alex Palou who will start third alongside McLaughlin, with Alexander Rossi and Felix Rosenqvist to start fifth and sixth.
Main image: Team Penske
