Carnage, Controversy, and a Cinderella Story: Indy 500 Qualifying in Summary

Jeffrey Hrunka - Staff Writer

Photo Credit: Penske Entertainment/Matt Fraver

A month filled with frustrations, failures and flips with the addition of the hybrid engine presented new challenges for competitors as they prepared for the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500.  This was put in full effort on qualifying day, with underdogs and veterans testing the margin of error, swapping places towards both ends of the grid.

While many fans have voiced their displeasure with the hybrid's performance on the road and street courses, the unit has impressed at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, providing numerous storylines leading up to the Indy 500 on Sunday, May 25.

These changes were displayed last week, during several practice sessions ahead of two-day qualifying. Ultimately, it led to rookie Robert Shwartzman claiming his first NTT P1 Award, while veterans either wrecked or faced elimination near the bottom of the grid.

“I didn’t expect to be that fast,” Shwartzman said. “My target was just gradually improving.”

The pole marked Prema Racing and Shwartzman's first Fast 12 appearance in each of their first oval appearances. Entering this weekend, Shwartzman and his teammate Callum Ilott both sat below 24th in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES standings. Shwartzman is also the first rookie to lead the field across the yard of bricks since 1983.

Two-time Indy 500 winner Takuma Sato, driving a backup chassis for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing after crashing his primary during last month’s open test, slotted in second, while fan favorite Pato O’Ward will round out the front row for Arrow-McLaren, beating out the Ganassi pairing of Scott Dixon and Alex Palou, as well as the speedy Felix Rosenqvist, in the final round of the session.

“I do believe that with these hybrids now, the balance window is considerably smaller,” Marcus Armstrong said.

Armstrong was among the five drivers who faced issues during the weekend. Kyle Larson and Kyffin Simpson could repair their vehicles after Friday incidents, as they didn’t face significant damage, while Colton Herta and Scott McLaughlin, who wrecked on Saturday and Sunday respectively, flipped and had to go to backup cars.

“It sucks,” Herta said. “From our standpoint, we don’t want to just be fighting to make the show. We want to be fighting for a pole… but what a heroic effort from our guys.”

All five drivers made the show with McLaughlin (tenth), Simpson (13th,) Larson (19th), and Herta (27th) locking themselves in on Saturday. Armstrong advanced through the last chance qualifier for a 30th-place starting spot as Dale Coyne Racing's Jacob Abel was the lone 'bump' from the field.

It’s important to note that many positions are different from qualifying due to the disqualifications of Josef Newgarden and Will Power. They will start 32nd and 33rd, respectively, for failing inspection after an illegally blended substance was found on their rear attenuators ahead of Fast 12 qualifying.

Interestingly, Will Power’s Dallara chassis initially passed inspection, but was brought back for scrutiny after the blend compound was also found on his Penske teammate’s entry. The star-studded organization missed out on the front row after sweeping the top three spots in 2024, and also vacated the points earned from qualifying.

The difference in balance drove the issues incurred during the weekend, as many drivers spun out by pushing the heavier chassis to the limits, and perhaps Penske’s desire to differentiate. However, it wasn’t only the car's weight that presented questions to drivers, but when to utilize the 60 horsepower boost from the hybrid unit.

Many drivers opted to use the hybrid boost in the last two of their four-lap qualifying runs. With the addition, the fourth-lap average on four-lap runs tended to be the same, if not faster, than the driver's third qualifying lap.

The only question left is how the hybrid boost will affect the race.

Fans will have to wait five more days for that to be answered. Coverage of the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway kicks off at 10 AM EST on Sunday, May 25, on FOX.