McLaughlin will share Row 2 with team-mate Josef Newgarden while fellow Team Penske driver Will Power failed to advance from Round 2 and is set to start eighth.
Palou kicked off the Fast Six with a 1:02.9621s in a black tyre-shod #10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, before McLaughlin (#3 Chevrolet) clocked a 1:01.3046s on used ‘green’ alternates.
Herta (#26 Andretti Global w/ Curb-Agajanian Honda) moved into second with a 1:02.5773s on used alternates, and then went to the very top with a 1:01.1164s next time around.
Newgarden knocked him off with a 1:00.9607s before Palou bettered both with a 1;00.6995s and Kyle Kirkwood (#27 Andretti Honda) moved into second on a 1:00.9242s.
Herta continued his run and nailed a 1:00.5475s with just under a minute left on the clock, before a red flag caused by Kirkwood, who had become stranded in the Turn 1 run-off area.
The session restarted with 43 seconds left although everyone else was guaranteed one more flying lap if they wanted it.
McLaughlin ran long at Turn 8, effectively the start of a qualifying lap given the placement of the alternate start/finish line, and thus decided to take pit exit, metres up the road.
No one else could improve either, meaning Herta claimed pole, from Palou, Newgarden, McLaughlin, Scott Dixon (#9 CGR Honda), and Kirkwood.
Herta has also been quickest in Round 2 on a 1:00.2304s while McLaren’s Theo Pourchaire missed out on advancing by 0.0287s.
The #6 Chevrolet is thus set to start seventh with the #12 Chevrolet of Power alongside, then Marcus Ericsson (#28 Andretti Honda), Santino Ferrucci (#14 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet), Christian Lundgaard (#45 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Chevrolet), and Pato O’Ward (#5 McLaren Chevrolet).
The latter was trapped when he caused a red flag after stalling at Turn 5 having tried to avoid impeding Kirkwood.
A notable further back, having fallen at the first hurdle, was Alexander Rossi (#7 McLaren Chevrolet) in 17th, although he will be elevated to 16th on the grid due to a penalty which Graham Rahal (#15 RLL Honda) carried into the weekend for an unapproved engine change.
Saturday’s schedule is the Warm Up at 09:30 ET/23:30 AEST, then the Race from 12:30 ET/Sunday 02:30 AEST.
Results: Qualifying
| Pos | Num | Driver | C/E/T | Qual time | Session |
| 1 | 26 | Colton Herta | D/H/F | 1:00.5475 | Round 3 / Fast Six |
| 2 | 10 | Alex Palou | D/H/F | 1:00.6995 | Round 3 / Fast Six |
| 3 | 2 | Josef Newgarden | D/C/F | 1:00.9607 | Round 3 / Fast Six |
| 4 | 3 | Scott McLaughlin | D/C/F | 1:01.3344 | Round 3 / Fast Six |
| 5 | 9 | Scott Dixon | D/H/F | 1:01.3905 | Round 3 / Fast Six |
| 6 | 27 | Kyle Kirkwood | D/H/F | 1:04.2926 | Round 3 / Fast Six |
| 7 | 6 | Theo Pourchaire | D/C/F | 1:00.7342 | Elimination Round 2 / Top 12 |
| 8 | 12 | Will Power | D/C/F | 1:00.7612 | Elimination Round 2 / Top 12 |
| 9 | 28 | Marcus Ericsson | D/H/F | 1:00.8505 | Elimination Round 2 / Top 12 |
| 10 | 14 | Santino Ferrucci | D/C/F | 1:01.0351 | Elimination Round 2 / Top 12 |
| 11 | 45 | Christian Lundgaard | D/H/F | 1:01.1663 | Elimination Round 2 / Top 12 |
| 12 | 5 | Pato O’Ward | D/C/F | 1:03.0479 | Elimination Round 2 / Top 12 |
| 13 | 20 | Christian Rasmussen | D/C/F | 1:01.3930 | Elimination Round 1 / Group 1 |
| 14 | 15 | Graham Rahal | D/H/F | 1:01.1336 | Elimination Round 1 / Group 2 |
| 15 | 77 | Romain Grosjean | D/C/F | 1:01.4933 | Elimination Round 1 / Group 1 |
| 16 | 30 | Pietro Fittipaldi | D/H/F | 1:01.3684 | Elimination Round 1 / Group 2 |
| 17 | 7 | Alexander Rossi | D/C/F | 1:01.5905 | Elimination Round 1 / Group 1 |
| 18 | 78 | Agustin Canapino | D/C/F | 1:01.5566 | Elimination Round 1 / Group 2 |
| 19 | 21 | Rinus VeeKay | D/C/F | 1:01.6040 | Elimination Round 1 / Group 1 |
| 20 | 11 | Marcus Armstrong | D/H/F | 1:01.7406 | Elimination Round 1 / Group 2 |
| 21 | 8 | Linus Lundqvist | D/H/F | 1:01.6297 | Elimination Round 1 / Group 1 |
| 22 | 60 | Felix Rosenqvist | D/H/F | 1:01.7441 | Elimination Round 1 / Group 2 |
| 23 | 4 | Kyffin Simpson | D/H/F | 1:01.7770 | Elimination Round 1 / Group 1 |
| 24 | 41 | Sting Ray Robb | D/C/F | 1:01.8454 | Elimination Round 1 / Group 2 |
| 25 | 51 | Tristan Vautier | D/H/F | 1:02.2091 | Elimination Round 1 / Group 1 |
| 26 | 66 | Helio Castroneves | D/H/F | 1:01.9687 | Elimination Round 1 / Group 2 |
| 27 | 18 | Jack Harvey | D/H/F | 1:02.1185 | Elimination Round 1 / Group 2 |
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