Palou Wins Pole at Mid-Ohio with Minimal Lead over O'Ward

Alex Palou, leader of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship, secured the pole position for the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio, sponsored by the 2025 Civic Hybrid, with a time of 1:05.3511 minutes in his Honda from Chip Ganassi Racing.

Qualifying Results

Palou, who had already secured the pole twice this season, achieved the sixth pole of his career. His victories at Indianapolis and Laguna Seca were from the pole, highlighting his consistency this season.

Pato O’Ward, with a time of 1:05.3535 minutes, qualified second, just 0.0024 seconds behind Palou, marking the narrowest margin between the top two in the current qualifying format for road and street courses.

David Malukas, in his second start of the season after wrist surgery, qualified third with a time of 1:05.6509 minutes, matching his career-best qualifying position. Colton Herta was fourth with a time of 1:05.7653 minutes, while Marcus Armstrong and Marcus Ericsson rounded out the top six.

Changes to the Circuit

This weekend features the introduction of the new hybrid unit in all engines, which has been an additional challenge for the teams, coupled with the recent repaving of the circuit that has increased grip and affected car setups.

Drivers like Will Power and Scott Dixon, who are chasing Palou in the points standings, will have to make their way up from lower grid positions. Dixon, a six-time winner at Mid-Ohio, will start from 14th, while Power, the 2020 winner, will start from 16th.