McLaughlin front row as Lundgaard tops Toronto qualifying

Christian Lungaard has scored his second IndyCar pole position ahead of Scott McLaughlin in a tricky rain-affected qualifying session that saw points leader Alex Palou in his lowest grid position of the season.

“We were talking about this just before getting in the car,” said Lundgaard. “I have a history in at least go-karts of being fast in the rain; I’ve only driven in the rain once in this car which was Indy GP last year and we weren’t competitive.”

“The Hy-Vee Vivid Clear Rx car today was there, and I can’t thank this team enough. I now this is wet and it’s tricky, but looking at where we were on street circuits earlier this year and even last year, we’ve made huge progress.”

McLaughlin’s second position is under a cloud given a spin that saw him impede several drivers, including Marcus Ericsson, early in the Fast Six session.

Group 1

The Andretti cars had been dominant in the dry, but rain delivered a greasy wet/dry surface when Group 1 ventured out.

That included Lundgaard, the Penskes of McLaughlin and Will Power, as well as Palou and Scott Dixon – that latter’s late session interrupted by David Malukas, who unwitting held up the six-time champion, earning the #18 Dale Coyne Racing a penalty.

With 80 seconds remaining, rain began falling in the Group 1 session, with Kirkwood fastest as the Palou was pushing to make the Fast 6. Yet as rain fell, the points leader had already missed his opportunity to improve on his eighth position, and will start the race in 15th – his worst grid position of 2023.

The late rain sealed the order, led by Kirkwood with a 1:00.6453 from Rinus Veekay, Lundgaard, Power, Dixon and McLaughlin sixth with a 1:01.4651. Castroneves in seventh was the first to miss the cut, ahead of Palou.

Yet the Spaniard didn’t rue the rain for missing the cut, saying it wasn’t a huge factor.

“I wouldn’t say much, honestly, I just think we didn’t  really put together everything we had,” he said.

“We had a lot more pace than that, and we couldn’t really improve on alternates [alternate tyres]; shame we’re going to have to start from the back, but we know we have a fast car and we can make it from there.”

Group 2

The rain that began during Group 1 qualifying evolved into the heaviest of the weekend, officials delaying the start of Group 2, which included IndyCar debutant, sportscar driver Tom Blomqvist, who was subbing for Simon Pagenaud after a significant accident due to brake failure at Mid-Ohio.

Felix Rosenqvist, who was in the spare car after a crash in Practice 2, was among the pack led by Colton Herta as the 10-minute session started with significant standing water on the circuit. A dry line wasn’t quick to emerge, as Canapino (Juncos Hollinger Racing) spun at Turn 8 after just losing the rear in a relatively innocuous spin with no damage.

Next was Herta, also at Turn 8,  heading into the run-off and causing a local yellow,  before Romain Grosjean locked up into Turn 3 then Blomqvist also took to the escape road.

Rahal was second fastest when he lost the rear and just brushed the front against the wall coming out of Turn 6, a dry line emerging as Rosenqvist led the session at the halfway point.

Blomqvist then set a 1:17.8370 to make it into the six – as Grosjean literally spun across the finish line to miraculously go P1 despite the spin ahead of Rosenqvist and Ericsson.

Rossi was sixth fastest when went wide at Turn 1 and was then hampered by what turned out to be an electrical issue that ended his day.

Rahal then returned to the pits after a front wing replacement with damage suspected to the rear of the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing entry after his earlier spin.

Rosenqvist went fastest to knock Grosjean from the top – as Blomqvist goes P5 with 50 seconds remaining. He’d have one more lap and hit the tyres, missing the cut.

As the 10 minutes came to an end, Rosenqvist was on top from Grosjean, O’Ward, Marcus Armstrong, Callum Ilott and Josef Newgarden – but as the final laps were completed, Herta pushed hard to go P6 as he dramatically hit the wall where the chequered flag was being waved, before Armstrong knocked him out in the #11 Honda.

The Group 2 on-track finishing order was Grosjean, Ericsson, Newgarden, Rosenqvist, O’Ward and Armstrong.

Fast 12

The rain had stopped for Fast 12, but with more clouds on the horizon, drivers were quick lay down a fast banker lap in case of more showers.

Despite that, the surface was still far too wet for slicks, as the tricky conditions saw drivers’ wet line include more concrete for grip.

O’Ward was fastest after two minutes, despite understeering in parts of the lap, before Power went to the top ahead of Grosjean – the top of the table switching constantly.

Halfway through the 10-minute session it was Rosenqvist from O’Ward, Ericsson, Dixon, Grosjean and Armstrong. Newgarden and McLaughlin filled positions seven and eight.

McLaughlin then made his first appearance in the top six with a 1:14.3903 to the 1:12.8617 of Rosenqvist – still the fastest lap two minutes later – as sun started to shine for the first time.

Grosjean then stormed to the top with a 1:11.9467, before Rosenqvist and Power took the top two spots.

With 90 seconds left, O’Ward in sixth put fresh wets on for a final flyer, as Mclaughlin went P2 with 40 seconds left to join team-mate Power in the six.

O’Ward made the timing line with four seconds left on the clock to use his new tyres – as he wrestled his way around, Lundgaard went fastest, Kirkwood missed out, as did Grosjean. O’Ward was still finishing his lap – he then went fastest to knock Dixon out.

The Fast Six would be O’Ward, Lundgaard, Rosenqvist, McLaughlin, Ericsson – who was sideways across the finish line to brush the wall and damage the rear wing, as sixth-fastest  Power kissed the wall towards but with little consequence.

Fast Six

A damp track but little sign of more rain at the start of the session saw O’Ward start on slick tyres – the Group 2 runners having an extra set of alternate slick tyres by virtue of having not needed them in the Group stages.

After one lap, Power and McLaughlin headed back to the lane for slicks, then Ericsson did the same.

O’Ward laid down a 1:10.9392 as the times were slashed on the dry track, from Rosenqvist, Lungaard – with the Ericsson and the Penske pair not having set an indicative time with three minutes left.

Power went P3 – 1:11.9667 – as McLaughlin lost it at the finish line to miss the walls but impede Rosenqvist, before a Ericsson on a push lap was held up by the New Zealander as he recovered the #3 Gallagher Chevrolet.

With two minutes to go it was O’Ward, Power, Ericsson, Rosenqvis, Lundgaard and McLaughlin.

The times continued to tumble, O’Ward two seconds faster than his previous best as he sets a 1:05.7235 with 50 seconds left on the clock.

McLaughlin then put his Penske to the top with a 1:05.6532 to replace O’Ward, before Power went fastest with a 1:05.0703, then Rosenqvist replaced him as the track was faster and faster – Lungaard was sixth until the final lap, when he posted a 1:04.1567 to take pole.

O’Ward, following Lundgaard, couldn’t match him, and was third fastest behind the Dane and McLaughlin.

McLaughlin’s second position was under a cloud, with potential penalties for impeding likely to knock him off the front row.

The Honda Indy Toronto race starts at 13:45 local time Sunday July 16/03:45 Monday July 17 AEST.

Full qualifying results here.