18/05/2025 19:07
Robert Shwartzman, the former Ferrari F1 junior driver, has qualified on pole position for the Indy 500 - as a rookie driver. Shwartzman, who drove for the Scuderia in free practice sessions in 2022 and 2023, and Sauber in 2024, is a first-time Oval driver for the new Prema Racing squad, and missed the first day of practice. After making it through to the Fast 12, he made the Fast 6 and set a benchmark of 232.790mph average over his four-lap run. Second place went to former F1 driver and two-time Indy 500 winner Takuma Sato, with McLaren's Pato O'Ward third and Scott Dixon in fourth. He is the first rookie on pole at IMS since Teo Fabi in 1983. The Team Penske trio of Scott McLaughlin, Josef Newgarden, and Will Power were expected to contend for pole, but incidents befell all. McLaughlin crashed in final practice ahead of qualifying, flipping down the back-straight, whilst Newgarden and Power were pulled from the line moments before their Fast 12 runs due to a technical infringement, with the rear crash structure being found to be modified in a way to aid aerodynamic performance, which is banned. They will start 10th, 11th, and 12th, their positions being set by the Saturday qualifying results. Grid positions P13-P30 were locked in, as attention was also on who would be bumped from the 33-car field, with 34 entries. The unlucky driver was rookie Jacob Abel, for Dale Coyne Racing, with Marco Andretti, Marcus Armstrong, and Rinus Veekay all making it into the race. Check out the full results from Day 2 of 2025 Indianapolis 500 qualifying below! 2025 Indianapolis 500 - Qualifying Day 2 results
