Alex Palou dropped behind into fouth place after starting from the pole Sunday, as the four-time IndyCar champion chases rare Indianapolis 500 history against a field loaded with former winners and racing legends.
Josef Newgarden, back-to-back winner in 2023 and 2024, is attempting a third Indy 500 victory, while Helio Castroneves seeks a record fifth title and Katherine Legge attempts a historic motorsports double at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Palou, Newgarden Headline 2026 Indianapolis 500 Field
Palou qualified at a four-lap average of 232.148 mph in his No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, earning his second career Indy 500 pole. Back-to-back wins would make him only the seventh driver in the race’s 115-year history to repeat as champion. Newgarden starts 23rd in the No. 2 Shell Team Penske Chevrolet. Castroneves, 51, starts 14th in the No. 06 Cleveland Cliffs Honda.
Christian Lundgaard, fresh off winning the Sonsio Grand Prix on the IMS road course two weeks ago, starts 18th, aiming to sweep both May races at the Speedway â only the fourth driver ever to do so, per IndyCar.com. Legge starts 26th in her bid to become the first woman to complete “The Double.” Rookie Mick Schumacher, son of seven-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher, makes his Brickyard debut from 27th. The live leaderboard is below.
| Rank | Driver | Status | Difference | Gap | Manufacturer | Speed 1 | Time 1 | Speed 2 | Time 2 | Start Position | Laps 1 | Laps 2 | Pit Stops | Position Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | S. Dixon | Active | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | Honda | 219.600 | 40.9836 | 220.033 | 40.9030 | 10 | 62 | 42 | 1 | 2 |
| 2 | K. Simpson | Active | 0.7555 | 0.7555 | Honda | 219.257 | 41.0478 | 220.124 | 40.8861 | 7 | 62 | 42 | 1 | 2 |
| 3 | C. Rasmussen | Active | 8.3878 | 7.6323 | Chevrolet | 219.052 | 41.0861 | 220.646 | 40.7893 | 15 | 62 | 33 | 3 | 15 |
| 4 | A. Palou | In Pit | 9.3673 | 0.9795 | Honda | 167.563 | 53.7113 | 220.265 | 40.8599 | 1 | 62 | 42 | 1 | 15 |
| 5 | F. Rosenqvist | In Pit | 10.5100 | 1.1427 | Honda | 173.253 | 51.9471 | 220.667 | 40.7855 | 4 | 62 | 42 | 1 | 6 |
| 6 | R. VeeKay | Best Lap | 10.9637 | 0.4537 | Chevrolet | 220.173 | 40.8770 | 220.173 | 40.8770 | 11 | 62 | 33 | 1 | 7 |
| 7 | J. Harvey | Active | 12.5024 | 1.5387 | Chevrolet | 216.510 | 41.5686 | 219.008 | 41.0943 | 33 | 62 | 33 | 1 | 4 |
| 8 | M. Schumacher | Active | 13.1806 | 0.6782 | Honda | 217.184 | 41.4396 | 219.934 | 40.9214 | 27 | 62 | 33 | 2 | 3 |
| 9 | M. Armstrong | In Pit | 14.3591 | 1.1785 | Honda | 172.000 | 52.3255 | 219.149 | 41.0679 | 16 | 62 | 42 | 1 | 6 |
| 10 | M. Ericsson | In Pit | 1 LAP | 1 LAP | Honda | 218.025 | 41.2797 | 219.295 | 41.0406 | 17 | 61 | 41 | 1 | 6 |
| 11 | W. Power | In Pit | 1 LAP | 0 LAP | Honda | 218.421 | 41.2049 | 219.698 | 40.9653 | 19 | 61 | 41 | 1 | 9 |
| 12 | K. Kirkwood | In Pit | 1 LAP | 0 LAP | Honda | 220.441 | 40.8273 | 220.441 | 40.8273 | 25 | 61 | 41 | 1 | 3 |
| 13 | C. Daly | Active | 1 LAP | 0 LAP | Chevrolet | 169.367 | 53.1389 | 220.105 | 40.8896 | 8 | 61 | 0 | 2 | 10 |
| 14 | D. Malukas | Active | 1 LAP | 0 LAP | Chevrolet | 166.877 | 53.9318 | 220.398 | 40.8353 | 3 | 61 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| 15 | P. O’Ward | Active | 1 LAP | 0 LAP | Chevrolet | 170.147 | 52.8953 | 219.271 | 41.0451 | 6 | 61 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 16 | H. Castroneves | Active | 1 LAP | 0 LAP | Honda | 168.792 | 53.3202 | 219.250 | 41.0490 | 14 | 61 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| 17 | T. Sato | Active | 1 LAP | 0 LAP | Honda | 168.802 | 53.3169 | 220.354 | 40.8433 | 12 | 61 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| 18 | S. McLaughlin | Active | 1 LAP | 0 LAP | Chevrolet | 139.850 | 1:04.3547 | 221.019 | 40.7204 | 9 | 61 | 0 | 2 | 7 |
| 19 | J. Newgarden | Active | 1 LAP | 0 LAP | Chevrolet | 139.186 | 1:04.6616 | 220.682 | 40.7826 | 23 | 61 | 0 | 2 | 11 |
| 20 | D. Hauger | In Pit | 1 LAP | 0 LAP | Honda | 141.057 | 1:03.8038 | 220.696 | 40.7801 | 29 | 61 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| 21 | G. Rahal | In Pit | 1 LAP | 0 LAP | Honda | 136.987 | 1:05.6996 | 218.545 | 41.1815 | 28 | 61 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 22 | R. Grosjean | Active | 1 LAP | 0 LAP | Honda | 216.788 | 41.5152 | 220.312 | 40.8511 | 24 | 61 | 22 | 1 | 5 |
| 23 | C. Collet | Active | 1 LAP | 0 LAP | Chevrolet | 216.233 | 41.6217 | 218.718 | 41.1489 | 32 | 61 | 21 | 1 | 5 |
| 24 | S. Ferrucci | Active | 1 LAP | 0 LAP | Chevrolet | 132.310 | 1:08.0221 | 219.988 | 40.9113 | 5 | 61 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 25 | A. Rossi | Active | 1 LAP | 0 LAP | Chevrolet | 134.562 | 1:06.8837 | 221.219 | 40.6836 | 2 | 61 | 1 | 2 | 10 |
| 26 | N. Siegel | Active | 1 LAP | 0 LAP | Chevrolet | 159.060 | 56.5825 | 220.355 | 40.8432 | 20 | 61 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| 27 | C. Lundgaard | Active | 1 LAP | 0 LAP | Chevrolet | 160.372 | 56.1194 | 218.990 | 41.0977 | 18 | 61 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 28 | S. Robb | Best Lap | 1 LAP | 0 LAP | Chevrolet | 219.404 | 41.0202 | 219.404 | 41.0202 | 31 | 61 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| 29 | L. Foster | Active | 1 LAP | 0 LAP | Honda | 130.451 | 1:08.9916 | 218.667 | 41.1584 | 21 | 61 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 30 | J. Abel | Active | 1 LAP | 0 LAP | Chevrolet | 158.757 | 56.6903 | 219.256 | 41.0480 | 30 | 61 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 31 | E. Carpenter | Cont. | 36 LAPS | 35 LAPS | Chevrolet | 131.854 | 1:08.2574 | 218.930 | 41.1090 | 13 | 26 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| 32 | R. Hunter-Reay | Cont. | 45 LAPS | 9 LAPS | Chevrolet | 217.696 | 41.3420 | 218.279 | 41.2317 | 22 | 17 | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | K. Legge | Cont. | 45 LAPS | 0 LAP | Chevrolet | 217.810 | 41.3204 | 218.630 | 41.1655 | 26 | 17 | 17 | 0 | 0 |
Indianapolis 500 History: 115 Years at the Brickyard
The event traces its origins to May 30, 1911, when Ray Harroun drove his Marmon Wasp to victory before 85,000 spectators, averaging 74.6 mph over more than six hours. Indiana automobile dealer Carl Fisher built the speedway on 328 acres of farmland to give automakers a high-speed testing ground.
In the 115 years since, the Indy 500 has grown into one leg of the Triple Crown of motorsport alongside the Monaco Grand Prix and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, regularly drawing 300,000 fans or more â among the largest single-day sporting gatherings on earth.
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