Andretti Global has done it again. Seven weeks after the company swept the front row for the prior NTT IndyCar Series street course race in Long Beach, Colton Herta laid down a 1:00.477s lap to bring the company another pole run on the streets of Detroit. The result was Herta’s 15th career pole and first since Toronto in 2024.
Andretti having pace on a street course isn’t surprising, but the end result did catch Herta off-guard after a difficult Friday practice.
“It was such an unknown and we were not really strong, to be completely honest, yesterday with the softer tires,” Herta admitted. “But the guys did a great job overnight. (The) Gainbridge Honda was super fast today.
“That was a big relief. We’ve been close a few times this year on making it, not only making it to the Fast 6, but making it on a pole run. Happy to do that. Happy to start P1 tomorrow. Best seat in the house. Now we just need a nice, easy race. No yellows. Go back to how it was before Indy (and) make it easy on us.”
As qualifying unfolded
Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing
Photo by: Penske Entertainment
Saturday’s pole-winning decision was an early risk to save a set of fresh soft tires. Herta was one of three drivers to do so and make it to the Fast 6, joined by Andretti Global teammate Kyle Kirkwood and A.J. Foyt Racing’s David Malukas.
That set the trio up to stand alone at the top of the charts in the final round, with Andretti positioned to sweep the front row again – as it had done just an hour earlier in Indy NXT. But Kirkwood was left feeling he’d “never been more disappointed with third in my life” after a potential pole run was undone when his car snapped loose and broke a tow link. That allowed Malukas to tie the best qualifying result of his career and set a new personal best on a street circuit in second.
“We’re starting off where we finished,” Malukas, the official Indianapolis 500 runner-up, told FOX Sports. “We’re still in that P2 spot. Really good session. I think as soon as we unloaded the car in Detroit, we knew we were having a good run.”
Arrow McLaren’s Christian Lundgaard was best of the rest, slotting fourth with used alternate tires. Graham Rahal followed in fifth, with early season dominator Alex Palou wrapping up the Fast 6.
Colton Herta, Andretti Global
Photo by: Penske Entertainment
Herta topped the Fast 12 with a time of 1:00.4569, with Kirkwood slotting in second. Malukas, Lundgaard, Palou and Rahal followed the pair through to the final round. Lundgaard’s run was hampered by a trip into the turn 8 runoff. He was able to spin around and return to the racing surface, but had to serve a drive-through penalty in the pits for causing a local yellow before rallying into an advancing position.
Rinus VeeKay showed strong pace for Dale Coyne Racing, coming up .0256s shy of the Fast 6 in seventh after the return of veteran engineer Michael Cannon to the organization. Scott McLaughlin, Will Power and Scott Dixon completed the top-10, with Marcus Armstrong and Christian Rasmussen capping off the Fast 12.
Both Rahal and Dixon will have their qualifying runs undone slightly by six-place grid penalties for unapproved engine changes entering the weekend. Rahal will roll off 11th, with Dixon dropping to 16th.
Power led the way in the opening group session, setting the lone time in the 1:00 range with a 1:00.9823. Palou entered the final 30 seconds on the cutline and briefly fell out of the top-six, but put together the second-best lap of the session to advance. Lundgaard, McLaughlin, Armstrong and Veekay completed the top-six, keeping Marcus Ericsson, Felix Rosenqvist, Callum Ilott and Kyffin Simpson from advancing despite Ericsson sitting as high as third after the checkered flag initially flew.
Felix Rosenqvist, Meyer Shank Racing
Photo by: Penske Entertainment
Saturday’s result was an early setback for Rosenqvist, who entered the weekend fourth in the championship standings. The Swede pointed the finger at his Meyer Shank Racing teammate, Armstrong, for costing him an opportunity to advance on the tight Detroit circuit.
“We had traffic from our own teammate,” Rosenqvist told FOX Sports. “Armstrong was just backing off in the middle of the lap. I guess as long as he had a good lap and hit the gap, whatever.
“I think it’s stupid. We literally discussed it before, (said) ‘Let’s not screw each other.’ And he literally did just that.”
Herta was quickest in the second group, leading a surprising top six that included Rahal, Malukas, Rasmussen, Kirkwood and Dixon – with the latter two drivers narrowly sneaking through to the Fast 12 in the final seconds of the round. Rookie Louis Foster came just .0081s shy of advancing, with Alexander Rossi, Pato O’Ward and Jacob Abel following suit.
The second group was eventful compared to the opening session. Arrow McLaren prospect Nolan Siegel saw his session derailed by an engine issue, leaving him over seven seconds off-pace. Josef Newgarden entered Detroit hoping to bounce back from his mechanical failure in the Indianapolis 500, but failed to advance after a promising last lap was undone when he brushed the wall and broke a toe link.
Next up for the IndyCar field is Sunday’s warmup, which will take place at 9:30 a.m. ET on FS1. The Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix will go live at 12:30 p.m. ET on FOX.
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