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.
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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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