A sunny Saturday afternoon in central Ohio was the setting for the first knockout qualifying session of IndyCar’s hybrid era.
Drivers raced around the undulating course and attempted to set the fastest time possible on the 2.26-mile track.
When time ran out, it was Alex Palou whose name was atop the timesheets, with the Spaniard earning his third pole of the 2024 season.
READ MORE: IndyCar Mid-Ohio – Full Qualifying Results
Palou’s final time was 1:05.3511, which was nearly a full second quicker than last year’s pole on account of the repaved track surface and the additional power from the hybrid units.
Pato O’Ward very nearly took the top spot for himself, but he drifted backwards on the delta in the final few corners.
His quick lap was a mere 0.0024 seconds slower than Palou, which still earned him a position on the front row.
David Malukas set the third fastest time, with the young driver admitting that he feels incredible and at home in his new Meyer Shank Racing team.
Colton Herta finished fourth, with Marcus Armstrong and Marcus Ericsson rounding out the Fast 6.
Armstrong will start further down the order than Saturday’s results indicate, however, as he was handed a six-place grid penalty for using too many engines across the season.
Three of the drivers that took part in the Firestone Fast 6 have never won an IndyCar pole before, which speaks to the mixed-up nature of the top spots.
Scott McLaughlin narrowly missed out on the Fast 6, completing his lap 0.02 seconds too slow to advance.
There were multiple veterans that failed to get a hold of the track, and more than a few ended the session wishing they had another chance to set a fast time.
Scott Dixon, Will Power, and Josef Newgarden all failed to advance out of the first round, and will start in the back half of the field on Sunday.
Kyle Kirkwood and Graham Rahal were also knocked out in the first round, despite being near the top of the timesheets earlier in the weekend.
Toby Sowery, in his IndyCar debut, was the slowest driver of the afternoon. He was hampered by mechanical issues, however, and only turned a single flying lap in his #51 Dale Coyne Racing Honda.
Sunday is when the real test of the new hybrid unit comes into play, and drivers will be managing the new system for 80 laps around the tricky course.
Green flags will wave for the Honda Indy 200 from Mid-Ohio at 1:45 PM eastern time.
