Alex Palou is likely to receive a grid penalty which would give his Chip Ganassi Racing team-mates a boost in their unlikely bid to win the IndyCar Series.
Honda has advised that Car #10 has “an issue” with its engine which will move Palou onto his fifth unit of the campaign in this, the final event of the year, at Laguna Seca.
As such, he should receive a grid penalty for an unapproved engine change, which would move him from fifth position for the start to 11th.
Team-mate Marcus Ericsson had qualified 10th and hence would switch sides on Row 5, while Palou would also be down with another Ganassi driver in Scott Dixon, who qualified 13th, and therefore could conceivably help the New Zealander too.
Dixon trails series leader Will Power by 21 points while Ericsson is now 40 off the pace after the Team Penske driver qualified on pole position.
Penske’s other title contenders, Scott McLaughlin and Josef Newgarden, qualified eighth and 25th respectively, the latter having spun at the Corkscrew in Round 1 of the session.
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McLaughlin moves up to seventh on the grid if Palou is pinged.
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