2025 Laguna Seca’s Indycar Grand Prix in Monterey – Qualifying Results

Alex Paulow took the pole in Laguna Seca’s dry lake mattress and set a 1:08.341 lap time earlier than championship rival Pat O’Ward.

Setting the scene for the showdown in tomorrow’s race, Oward continued his scorching streak and did his greatest to search out the second pole of the yr, however tomorrow will proceed to carry the combat to the Spaniards sitting beneath 100 factors within the championship.

After Paul, Palou states: “The automobile was superb. I felt like there was a number of tempo I practiced yesterday. Truthfully, everybody at Chip Ganassi race has accomplished an unimaginable job, getting me on monitor and looking out nice.

“It feels nice to be on pole right here and I can not wait tomorrow. I am going to do my greatest. It is robust, I can put all of it collectively right into a race at IndyCar, you guys have seen it, it is fairly robust, however we’ll do every part we are able to to get it to the highest tomorrow.

O’ward would have inevitably preferred Paul, however he acknowledged this as his greatest qualifying place at Laguna Seca and gave his credibility to Parow, who arrange “Monster Rap.”

“My greatest beginning place right here, we take it. Alex put the monster’s knee down there. O’Phrase Digressed, “It was form of a stranger to be within the quick six this yr, so it is good to be again right here.

“He is the man we have now to defeat and he is beginning in entrance of us, so let’s have a look at what tomorrow has.”

Colton Hertha got here in third, and Josef Newgarden confirmed that when every part is true, he can nonetheless compete with the most effective. A number of phrase champions will likely be in fourth place.

Newgarden was joined by his teammate Will Energy, a quick six who began in fifth place whereas David Marcus completed on the backside of the ultimate qualifying session.

The 2 practices cancelled as a consequence of early morning fog meant that the driving force entered the qualifying blind after solely an hour of establishing on Friday.

Since we weren’t certain which tires to make use of within the qualifying spherical, Group 1 appeared on the automobile’s association utilizing totally different compounds. Penske drivers Josef Newgarden and Scott Mclaughlin used softer purple tires in Group 1, becoming a member of Marcus Ericsson for this choice.

Nevertheless, others in Hardty have confirmed that the lengthy lifespan of the compounds may also help Ericsson and McLaughlin survive higher knees by eliminating them.

McLaughlin mentioned:

“(We) threw a number of modifications this morning, however the genius determined to say 8:30 for apply, so sadly nobody runs, however that is the identical for everybody.

“We simply missed it, it is irritating, however I am glad we have made some enhancements there and we’re all going to be higher right here.”

McLaughlin is in thirteenth place, whereas Ericson is in fifteenth place.

Regardless of two of the three gentle tire runners eradicated in Group 1, this doesn’t appear to scare the crew in Group 2, with seven drivers utilizing purple tires.

However by the point the ultimate run got here, everybody switched to gentle compounds. Patooward was in peril throughout the ultimate minute of the drop zone, however he positioned himself on the highest of the timesheet on the ultimate lap.

Kyle Kirkwood was in a menace to thirteenth place because the watch hit zero, however was unable to set it quick sufficient to be eradicated and completed in ninth place.

“The final rap, it wasn’t nice,” defined Kirkwood.

“Everybody has backed up. I do not know what everybody else was doing. I am certain it is in all probability going to be the third lap, however for us we needed to do a second lap and by no means actually felt the automobile, we got here to the ultimate nook and did a fairly fulfilling snap and saved it on monitor with the automobile.

() automobile fasting, we undoubtedly want to maneuver there. In only a few unlucky circumstances, we hugged us from there, however now we have now extra tires than anybody else.

“It is a optimistic we are able to take from there and we are able to go from there. The technique begins tomorrow.”

Kirkwood was joined by Santino Ferucc within the removing zone and Nolan Siegel, and Graham Lahar managed to sneak into the quick 12.

Andretti Driver is 18th and Ferucci is twentieth.

Quick 12 noticed the same story to Group 2, the place drivers have been combined into two totally different tire compounds. It was Colton Hertha who modified the story of the session by setting the quickest lap on used purple tires.

This has modified the softer compounds even when different drivers are used, making it a really shut session for all drivers.

Patooward was virtually eradicated and sat in eleventh place in 30 seconds. From the second they started their ultimate lap, Felix Rosenqvist and Alex Pallow virtually denied the chance to make their ultimate lap.

Rosenqvist spuns a lethal colouring automobile of his gratitude and manages to proceed by means of the gravel.

With neither incident bringing out something greater than the native yellow, O’Ward took his time and managed to get into the six of them shortly.

Nevertheless, Rosenqvist was eradicated and blamed Spin for why he did not seem within the ultimate group in any respect. He begins on the twelfth.

He mentioned:

“It is what it’s, my tempo is there. We sat there quick and quick for the primary group P2, so it is annoying for those who’ve gone out after you have spent your knee time.

‘(it) At any time when there are penalties to be handed out, we’re there to take them. You will get somebody to get them off monitor and run, and that is advantageous. It was my unhealthy factor, so I’ve to maneuver ahead tomorrow. ”

In Quick Six it appeared like the driving force did not wish to reveal the playing cards early within the session. There have been no aggressive lap occasions set till the previous couple of minutes.

Each Newgarden and Palou first appeared on exhausting tires, then switched to softer compounds a couple of laps later.

In the meantime, Hertha has been ready for many of Pitt’s periods, the place she feels she does not have to arrange a banker’s lap.

However Oward was the primary particular person to drag the set off on the Mexican standoff.