IndyCar: Lundgaard schools the field to win pole in Toronto

On a dry-wet-then drying Toronto Street Circuit, Christian Lundgaard, who came up through the Formula 1 ladder system, schooled the IndyCar field to win pole position by 0.3s in his Rahal Letterman Honda.

Scott McLaughlin was 2nd in his #3 Penske Chevy, but he spun during the Fast Six session and may lose his fast lap.

Pato O’Ward was 3rd fastest in his #5 Arrow McLaren Chevy.

Marcus Ericsson and Felix Rosenqvist rounded out the top-5.

Lundgaard, 21, from Denmark, earned his second pole of this season and of his young NTT INDYCAR SERIES career with a time of 1 minute, 4.1567 seconds in the No. 45 Vivid Clear Rx Honda fielded by Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Lundgaard’s other pole came at the GMR Grand Prix in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.

The pole proved how RLL’s focus on improving its pace on temporary street circuits like the 11-turn, 1.786-mile course around Toronto’s Exhibition Place is paying off. The three-car team’s previous best qualifying performance this season on a street course was 11th by Lundgaard at the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding in early March.

“I have a history, at least in go-karts, of being fast in the rain,” Lundgaard said. “I’ve only driven in the rain only once in this car, which was Indy GP last year, and we weren’t competitive.

“The Hy-Vee Vivid Clear Rx car today was there. I can’t thank this team enough. I know this is wet, and it’s tricky, but looking at where we were on street circuits earlier this year and last year, we’ve made huge progress.”

Every driver in the Firestone Fast Six session switched to Firestone slick tires on a drying track after using rain tires during the slippery second session. That created some fish-tailing, heart-in-throat moments, as all six drivers scrambled for grip in the few areas where the track remained wet. A handful of drivers brushed the wall during the thrilling, unpredictable final session as the rear of their cars side-stepped and sashayed exiting corners.

Championship leader Alex Palou, who leads by 110 points over teammate Scott Dixon, encountered the first hiccup of his dominant season in the first round. He failed to advance as light rain started in the final 90 seconds of his group while he and other drivers were on slick tires and will start a season-low 15th in the No. 10 Journie Rewards Honda. Palou’s worst previous starting spot this season was seventh at St. Petersburg and Texas.

“We really didn’t put together everything we had,” Palou said. “We had a lot more pace than that, and we couldn’t improve on alternates (tires). It’s a shame we’re going to have to start from the back, but we know we have a fast car and can make it from there.”

Qualifying Results

Pursuant to Rule 8.3.7.1 , Car 18 Has lost their 2 fastest laps and cannot advance.Pursuant to Rule 8.3.7.3, Car 78 has lost heir fastest lap to this point. Pursuant to Rule 8.3.7.3, Car 28 has lost their fastest lap to this point. Pursuant to Rule 8.3.7.3, Car 26 has lost their fastest lap to this point. Pursuant to Rule 8.3.7.3, Car 15 has lost their fastest lap to this point. Pursuant to Rule 8.3.7.3, Car 26 has lost their fastest lap to this point. Pursuant to Rule 8.3.7.3, Car 78 has lost their fastest lap to this point. Pursuant to Rule 8.3.7.3, Car 15 has lost their fastest lap to this point.Pursuant to Rule 8.3.7.3, Car 3 has lost their fastest lap to this point.