In 2017, Takuma Sato emerged victorious in the historic Indianapolis 500 race, triumphantly crossing the renowned yard of bricks in Indiana.
2018 Indy 500 winner Will Power set the pace in Full Field qualifying as he headed the pack of 12 drivers who will battle for pole position.
Power enters Sunday with momentum, accompanied by former Formula 1 drivers Alexander Rossi and Takuma Sato, as they secure a spot in the Top 12 with an average speed of 233.758. On the other hand, despite having 97 F1 race starts under his belt, Marcus Ericsson disappointingly falls short and fails to qualify within the top 30.
Can Will Power claim 2024 Indianapolis 500 pole?
After completing the practice sessions, it was now time to assemble the grid for the 2024 Indianapolis 500 with Full Field qualifying. The drivers who would advance to the Top 12 qualifying round were to be determined, while positions 13 to 30 on the grid would be established.
After all 34 runners had recorded their times, they were presented with a decision. They could either opt for a fresh attempt from the priority lane, which granted them priority access to the track but required them to forfeit their previous best time, or they could choose lane two. Lane two provided already qualified drivers a less risky chance to enhance their position, provided there was enough time.
As the critical final hour approached, Will Power secured the top position with an impressive average speed of 233.758mph. He led the charge to qualify for the Top 12, while Callum Ilott, a former Ferrari junior, hovered on the edge at P13, determined to avoid finalizing his grid position on this day.
Ericsson, a former Formula 1 driver for Sauber and Caterham, had his sights set on securing a spot in the top 30 to avoid Last Chance qualifying during the 2022 Indy 500. However, with just over 40 minutes remaining, the Andretti driver’s attempt to improve his position was rejected as it fell short of the required pace.
Ericsson made another attempt in the final 15 minutes, only to be disappointed once again, leading him to enter the Last Chance qualifying round.
Power is set to maintain his position at the top, with Scott McLaughlin close behind him as an exciting final day of qualifying approaches.
Full Field Qualifying results
1. Will Power – 233.758 average speed
2. Scott McLaughlin – 233.332
3. Josef Newgarden – 233.293
4. Alexander Rossi – 233.069
5. Kyle Kirkwood – 232.764
6. Kyle Larson – 232.563
7. Felix Rosenqvist – 232.547
8. Santino Ferrucci – 232.496
9. Takuma Sato – 232.473
10. Pato O’Ward – 232.434
11. Rinus VeeKay – 232.419
12. Ryan Hunter-Reay – 232.385
13. Colton Herta – 232.316
14. Alex Palou – 232.306
15. Callum Ilott – 232.230
16. Marcus Armstrong – 232.183
17. Ed Carpenter – 232.017
18. Kyffin Simpson – 231.948
19. Marco Andretti – 231.890
20. Helio Castroneves – 231.871
21. Scott Dixon – 231.851
22. Agustin Canapino – 231.847
23. Sting Ray Robb – 231.826
24. Christian Rasmussen – 231.682
25. Tom Blomqvist – 231.578
26. Romain Grosjean – 231.578
27. Linus Lundqvist – 231.506
28. Christian Lundgaard – 231.465
29. Conor Daly – 231.243
30. Pietro Fittipaldi – 231.100
Marcus Ericsson
Graham Rahal
Katherine Legge
Nolan Siegel
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