Alex Palou wins pole for 2026 Indy 500: Starting lineup, qualifying results

Alex Palou has dominated the NTT IndyCar Series this decade winning four of the past five series championships. Last year, the Chip Ganassi Racing driver added his first win in IndyCar’s most iconic race when he triumphed at the 2025 Indianapolis 500.

Now, Palou adds another notch to his already legendary auto racing career.

The 29-year-old Spanish driver won the pole for the 2026 Indy 500 on Sunday, May 17, becoming the first driver since four-time winner Helio Castroneves to win the pole one year after winning the race. Palou also won the Indy 500 pole in 2023 and went on to finish fourth.

Palou will line up alongside 2016 Indy 500 winner Alexander Rossi, who qualified second, and David Malukas, who qualified third, on the front row for the 110th Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 24. Felix Rosenqvist, starting fourth, Santino Ferrucci, starting fifth, and Pato O'Ward, starting sixth, will line up on Row No. 2 of the starting grid. All six drivers competed in the Firestone Fast Six, the final segment of qualifying today.

Row No. 4 (positions 10 through 12) features six-time IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon and two-time Indy 500 winner Takuma Sato, while Castroneves will start 14th on Row No. 5 as he tries to break the record he shares with A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears for most wins in Indy 500 history.

Another two-time winner, Josef Newgarden, who won back-to-back in 2023 and 2024, struggled in Sunday’s qualifying and will start 23rd on Row No. 8.

Katherine Legge took the first step toward her historic “Double” attempt – racing the Indy 500 and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 on the same day – when she qualified Sunday the No. 11 car for AJ Foyt Racing. She will start on 26th, on Row No. 9, alongside Kyle Kirkwood and Mick Schumacher.

See the full starting lineup by row for the 2026 Indianapolis 500 below:

2026 Indianapolis 500 starting lineup

With starting position, car number, engine, team and qualifying speed (4-lap average) on Sunday

NOTE: The cars of Caio Collet (qualified 10th) and Jack Harvey (29th) failed post-qualifying tech inspection and were moved to the back of the lineup.

2026 Indy 500 Row 1

• 1. (10) Alex Palou, Honda, Chip Ganassi Racing, 232.248
• 2. (20) Alexander Rossi, Chevrolet, Ed Carpenter Racing, 231.990 
• 3. (12) David Malukas, Chevrolet, Team Penske, 231.877

2026 Indy 500 Row 2

• 4. (60), Felix Rosenqvist, Honda, Meyer Shank Racing, 231.375
• 5. (14) Santino Ferrucci, Chevrolet, A.J. Foyt Racing, 230.846
• 6. (5) Pato O'Ward, Chevrolet, Arrow McLaren, 230.442

2026 Indy 500 Row 3

• 7. (8 Kyffin Simpson, Honda, Chip Ganassi Racing, 230.883
• 8. (23) Conor Daly, Chevrolet, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, 230.712
• 9. (3) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, Team Penske, 230.577

2026 Indy 500 Row 4

• 10. (9) Scott Dixon, Honda, Chip Ganassi Racing, 230.347
• 11. (76) Rinus VeeKay, Chevrolet, Juncos Hollinger, 229.585
• 12. (75) Takuma Sato, Honda, Rahal Letterman Lanigan, 230.995

2026 Indy 500 Row 5

• 13. (33) Ed Carpenter, Chevrolet, Ed Carpenter Racing, 230.829
• 14. (06) Helio Castroneves, Honda, Meyer Shank Racing, 230.811
• 15. (21) Christian Rasmussen, Chevrolet, Ed Carpenter Racing, 230.705

2026 Indy 500 Row 6

• 16. (66) Marcus Armstrong, Honda, Meyer Shank Racing, 230.701
• 17. (28) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, Andretti Global, 230.667
• 18. (7) Christian Lundgaard, Chevrolet, Arrow McLaren, 230.661

2026 Indy 500 Row 7

• 19. (26) Will Power, Honda, Andretti Global, 230.279
• 20. (6) Nolan Siegel, Chevrolet, Arrow McLaren, 230.213
• 21. (45) Louis Foster, Honda, Rahal Letterman Lanigan, 230.212

2026 Indy 500 Row 8

• 22. (31) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Chevrolet, Arrow McLaren, 230.202
• 23. (2) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, Team Penske, 230.165
• 24. (18) Romain Grosjean, Honda, Dale Coyne Racing, 229.791

2026 Indy 500 Row 9

• 25. (27) Kyle Kirkwood, Honda, Andretti Global, 229.067
• 26. (11) Katherine Legge, Chevrolet, A.J. Foyt Racing, 229.456
• 27. (47) Mick Schumacher, Honda, Rahal Letterman Lanigan, 229.450

2026 Indy 500 Row 10

• 28. (15) Graham Rahal, Honda, Rahal Letterman Lanigan, 229.017
• 29. (19) Dennis Hauger, Honda, Dale Coyne Racing, 228.982
• 30. (51) Jacob Abel, Chevrolet, Abel Motorsports, 226.169

2026 Indy 500 Row 11

• 31. (77) Sting Ray Robb, Chevrolet, Juncos Hollinger, 226.572
• 32. (4) Caio Collet, Chevrolet, A.J. Foyt Racing, 230.539
• 33. (24) Jack Harvey, Chevrolet, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, 229.207

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