O’Ward gives McLaren Indy pole, Lundgaard stars on debut

Arrow McLaren SP driver Patricio O’Ward delivered a brilliant late lap to take IndyCar pole on the Indianapolis road course, with Romain Grosjean third and debutant Christian Lundgaard a surprise fourth.

This session employed a slightly different qualifying format than usual with the fastest six drivers from two segments – the 28-car grid split in half – going into the final session to fight for pole.

Usually IndyCar road course events promote the top six from each segment into a round of 12 and then the six fastest go through to fight for pole.

O’Ward went under the radar as a pole threat – understandably after he qualified 18th here earlier in the year – but out of nowhere he dived to the top of the leaderboard to steal pole from Grosjean at the last.

It’s O’Ward’s fourth pole in the series and his second of 2021 after Barber and Detroit. It’s all the more valuable given the drivers ahead of and behind him in the standings hit trouble and start well back in the order.

Grosjean took pole on the Indy road course in May but this time was also jumped by qualifying supremo Will Power of Penske to make it two Chevrolet-powered cars locking out the front row, separated by just 0.0067s.

Behind Grosjean, Lundgaard made the most of the characteristics of the track, which has often suited drivers who have predominantly raced in Europe like Grosjean.

Formula 2 driver Lundgaard – racing in his first weekend in the series with Rahal Letterman Lanigan in a move initiated by the Alpine F1 academy he races under the banner of – topped the first runs in the shootout for pole and impressed immediately with his speed having only had one test in the car (at Barber) and then one practice session at Indy earlier on Friday.

Last week’s standout driver Colton Herta bounced back from crashing out of the Nashville weekend he had dominated by taking fifth, having lost oil pressure in practice just a few hours earlier.

The top five were split by just 0.0484s.

Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing currently leads the championship, and he starts sixth as the best of the Chip Ganassi Racing entries.

Jack Harvey – somewhat of a specialist at this venue – earned seventh for Meyer Shank Racing ahead of the Ed Carpenter Racing cars of Conor Daly and May race winner Rinus VeeKay.

Alexander Rossi topped his segment earlier on but could only manage 10th, ahead of last week’s Nashville winner Marcus Ericsson. Simon Pagenaud rounded out the pole shootout.

Ericsson had been set to miss out on the 12-car fight for pole, but his fellow Swede Felix Rosenqvist failed to slow for a caution and lost his best lap, meaning he was stopped from graduating and Ericsson advanced instead.

There were a host of big names missing the 12-car fight for pole and therefore starting back in the field.

Josef Newgarden was left frustrated after catching James Hinchcliffe on his last lap and said he was upset at himself for not giving himself more gap. He should start 14th but will start 20th due to a pre-weekend unapproved engine change penalty that drops him six places.

Scott Dixon was the biggest loser of anyone in qualifying, though.

Dixon, starting the weekend second in the championship, was clearly fighting his car to keep it on the track and just before the chequered flag of the session, he spun and ran across the line backwards.

Wild moment for @scottdixon9 during @IndyCar qualifying!

Watch LIVE on NBCSN.#TheBrickyard | #BigMachineGP pic.twitter.com/q4uVxRhXRT

— Indianapolis Motor Speedway (@IMS) August 13, 2021

For causing a caution, he lost his best lap and will start 26th.

Dixon’s Ganassi team-mate Jimmie Johnson had one of his best sessions of the year at a track he tested at last year and raced at earlier this season.

He had jumped to fourth position among the later group runs but was bumped down, but chipped away at the margin to the fastest driver in his segment and was 0.8757s behind.

Johnson will start the race 22nd.

Saturday’s race takes place at 1245 ET (5.45pm UK), as NASCAR’s Sprint Cup series and IndyCar are on a joint bill at the event, both using the road course.

Qualifying Results