Days afterwards his maiden 2-twenty-four hour period test in a McLaren Formula Ane machine at Portimão, Colton Herta returned to Due north America and put his #26 Andretti Autosport Dallara/Honda on pole position for this weekend'southward Indy Toronto at the Exhibition Place Street Circuit.

This weekend marks IndyCar's render to Toronto later on a 2-yr, covid-enforced hiatus, and the ii.8 kilometre street circuit delivered enough of action across iii stages of qualifying.

Herta went into qualifying with the fastest fourth dimension in Sabbatum morning's second exercise and, at the finish of Fast Six qualifying, he took pole position with a fourth dimension of 59.270 seconds, the fastest time of the weekend.

The 22-year-old American driver becomes the start echo pole winner of 2022, having previously taken pole honours at the Yard Prix of Long Beach. However, the Andretti driver will be looking to avoid a echo of his race-ending accident at Long Beach when the green flag drops in Toronto tomorrow for 85 laps of racing.

Three-time Indy Toronto winner Scott Dixon will share the front row afterward qualifying 2nd, ahead of Josef Newgarden, who was third. Alexander Rossi, coming off a tumultuous Mid-Ohio Grand Prix of his ain making, was fourth, ahead of rookie David Malukas in fifth, and Scott McLaughlin in 6th.

Callum Ilott put in another stiff showing in seventh, alee of Felix Rosenqvist in eighth, championship leader Marcus Ericsson in ninth, and Christian Lundgaard – the third of 3 rookies inside the peak x – in tenth.

Toronto native Devlin DeFrancesco impressed with a career-best 12th place qualifying issue in his home debut – despite having multiple incidents in the starting time and 2d rounds of qualifying; he went into the tyre barriers during the first stage but he was able to keep a time that allowed him to progress into the 2d phase, where he was then penalised once more for impeding eventual pole winner Herta.

The other local driver, Dalton Kellett, did non run in the session due to a fuel pressure issue and will start 23rd.

After controversy erupted over reigning series champion Alex Palou'due south future afterward both Chip Ganassi and McLaren announced he would be driving for them in 2023 earlier this week, Palou could manage only 22nd on the grid. Following a crash in Saturday exercise, Palou's qualifying was hampered by a mechanical failure that brought out a crimson flag in circular i, group two qualifying.

That session was restarted with enough time for all drivers to attempt ane more than lap, but was so red-flagged once more than when Kyle Kirkwood hit the wall at turn half-dozen, so spun and crashed 2 corners later on, causing a second carmine flag.

Later on penalties were assessed, Palou will start 22nd, Kirkwood will start 24th, and Conor Daly, who impeded Herta in round one, group one qualifying, will start 25th.

The green flag for the 2022 Indy Toronto is scheduled for 20:30 BST.

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Indy Toronto qualifying results

Position Auto Driver Team Engine
1 26 Colton Herta Andretti Honda
2 9 Scott Dixon Ganassi Honda
three 2 Josef Newgarden Penske Chevrolet
iv 27 Alexander Rossi Andretti Honda
5 eighteen David Malukas Coyne/HMD Honda
six 3 Scott McLaughlin Penske Chevrolet
vii 77 Callum Ilott Juncos Hollinger Chevrolet
8 7 Felix Rosenqvist McLaren SP Chevrolet
9 8 Marcus Ericsson Ganassi Honda
10 30 Christian Lundgaard RLL Honda
xi 28 Romain Grosjean Andretti Honda
12 29 Devlin DeFrancesco Andretti Steinbrenner Honda
13 45 Jack Harvey RLL Honda
fourteen 15 Graham Rahal RLL Honda
15 5 Pato O'Ward McLaren SP Chevrolet
16 12 Will Ability Penske Chevrolet
17 six Helio Castroneves Meyer Shank Honda
18 60 Simon Pagenaud Meyer Shank Honda
19 51 Takuma Sato Coyne/RWR Honda
20 21 Rinus VeeKay Carpenter Chevrolet
21 48 Jimmie Johnson Ganassi Honda
22 ten Alex Palou Ganassi Honda
23 4 Dalton Kellett Foyt Chevrolet
24 14 Kyle Kirkwood Foyt Chevrolet
25 20 Conor Daly Carpenter Chevrolet

IndyCar

  • Herta felt "close" to consistently quick lap times on F1 test debut for McLaren
  • Palou denies Ganassi'due south merits he will stay as McLaren announce him as 2023 driver
  • Ganassi picks up option on IndyCar champion Palou for 2023
  • Herta makes F1 test debut for McLaren at Algarve
  • Herta to examination for McLaren this week to prepare for do outing

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RJ O'Connell

Motorsport has been a lifelong involvement for RJ, both virtual and 'in the carbon', since babyhood. RJ picked up motorsports writing every bit a hobby...

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