"It has a little bit of everything": Alex Palou opens up on his love for Barber after securing the pole

Reigning IndyCar champion Alex Palou is all set to start the upcoming 2025 Barber race from pole position as he talked up the 2.3-mile layout of the track.

Alex Palou put in stellar laps to secure pole for the Children's of Alabama Indy Grand Prix on Saturday. He was on it from the get-go in qualifying, saying after the fiercely fought session (0:11):

"I love the track. It's so much fun, like every lap that you do is so much fun, like we were speaking on the band coming here, it's amazing to like how the car feels, and how the track feels, ton of grip, lots of ups and downs, high braking zones, high speeds, like it has a little bit of everything."

Alex Palou's pole position lap during Saturday's qualifying was a 1:07.2918. He will have Team Penske's Scott McLaughlin starting alongside him on Sunday, while Colton Herta and Will Power will make up the second row.

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Alex Palou's take on his Barber pole position

While Alex Palou showered huge praise on the Barber Motorsports Park, he also shared his thoughts on his qualifying outing. He expressed happiness for securing the pole position in a tough session.

The 28-year-old said:

"What an amazing day for the 10 car. This is such a special place for us here. We got our first race win in INDYCAR back in 2021. It was super close.

"I don’t think my first lap (in the Firestone Fast Six) was very good. I was just hoping to get a perfect lap on the second one on the alternates (Firestone Firehawk tires). So, yeah, cannot wait for tomorrow now."

The reigning IndyCar champion is in strong form this year. After the first three rounds of the season, he's atop the drivers' standings with 142 points, registering two Grand Prix wins, one pole position, three top-five and three top-10 finishes.

The second-placed Kyle Kirkwood is on 108 points, while Christian Lundgaard is third with 96.