CGR’s Alex Palou grabs pole for Sunday’s IndyCar showdown at Barber

Alex Palou continued his stunning start to the 2025 season with a pole position at the Children’s of Alabama Grand Prix. The 28-year-old delivered another masterclass to clinch the top spot ahead of the main race on Sunday, May 4.

The Chip Ganassi driver topped the first round of qualifying with a lap time of 01:07.1674, and followed his performance with a second-place finish during the second round of qualifying behind Will Power, posting a time of 01:07.3168.

However, with the stakes at their highest in the Fast Six, Palou stormed to pole with a blistering time of 01:07.2918, ahead of favorite, Scott McLaughlin.

Alex Palou’s performance underlines his impressive start to the 2025 season. The three-time IndyCar champion has consistently qualified in the top 10 since the start of the season, with his lowest qualifying position being eighth place at the St. Petersburg Grand Prix.

The pole position, which is also his first of the campaign, is the eighth of his career in the American open-wheel racing series.

Joining Alex Palou on the front row will be Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin, who fell short of the top time but showed strong pace throughout qualifying. Andretti Autosport’s Colton Herta will line up in third, while veteran Will Power and Rinus VeeKay complete the top five for the race.

The race is expected to be another tactical battle, with pit stop strategy and tire management likely to play a crucial role—judging by how recent Grands Prix at the Birmingham circuit have played out. The threat of rain could also impact proceedings on race day, adding another layer of intrigue.

The tight, undulating layout of Barber Motorsports Park often rewards those who qualify on the front row, making Alex Palou’s pole position even more crucial.

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Alex Palou reacts after clinching pole position at Barber

Alex Palou has expressed his delight following his pole position in qualifying for the Children’s Grand Prix of Alabama. The Chip Ganassi driver sealed top spot with a well-executed drive on the Birmingham circuit.

The 28-year-old pipped Scott McLaughlin by approximately one-and-a-half-tenths to put his car on the front row for the event. Palou spoke to the media following his stellar drive to express his thoughts on securing pole position.

Speaking in a video shared on X (formerly Twitter) about how perfect he and his team had to be to claim his maiden pole of the season, the Barcelona-born driver stated:

“I mean, amazing—what an amazing day for the #10 car, running new livery for HRC this weekend. Such a special place for us here. Got our first race win in IndyCar back in 2021. So yeah, it was all close—super close. I think my first lap wasn’t really, really good, and I was just hoping to get a perfect lap on the second one on the alternate. Everything ran amazing. Cannot wait for tomorrow now.”

Palou has shown strong performance throughout the Grand Prix weekend, not only securing pole position, but also setting the pace through the first practice session of the event. The Chip Ganassi star previously claimed victory at this circuit during the 2021 season, and he will hope for a repeat of that performance come race Sunday.