In his first ever race on an oval, rookie IndyCar driver Robert Shwartzman will start on pole position in the 2025 Indianapolis 500.
Shwartzman stunned the field in Sunday’s qualifying session, posting an average speed of 232.790 miles per hour in Fast 6 qualifying to edge veteran and two-time Indy 500 champion Takuma Sato.
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There was plenty of drama on Sunday, as all three Team Penske cars did not make a qualifying run. Scott McLaughlin crashed in practice on Sunday morning, and both Josef Newgarden and Will Power were disallowed from running due to a technical violation.
[UPDATE]: Josef Newgarden and Will Power have been moved to the rear of the field by IndyCar following the “discovery of modified attenuators” in Sunday’s session. Both team strategists have been suspended for the remainder of the Indy 500 week, and both teams have been fined $100,000.
You can see all the results from qualifying and a full recap below.
2025 Indy 500 starting lineup
Felix Rosenqvist finishes fifth, Robert Shwartzman wins Indy 500 pole position
An unbelievable story in Indianapolis, where rookie Robert Shwartzman has shocked the IndyCar field to take pole position for the 2025 Indy 500. Felix Rosenqvist couldn’t match his speed from earlier on Sunday, giving Shwartzman the pole.
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Robert Shwartzman: 232.790 mph
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Felix Rosenqvist: 231.987 mph
Pato O’Ward slots in third, behind Takuma Sato
Robert Shwartzman is one driver away from shocking IndyCar by winning the Indy 500 pole. O’Ward had a bit of a wiggle on his first lap, but wasn’t close to pole speed.
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Robert Shwartzman: 232.790 mph
Rookie Robert Shwartzman goes fastest over Takuma Sato, two drivers remain
Making his oval racing debut, Robert Shwartzman is on provisional pole for the 2025 Indy 500 with only two drivers left to go.
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Robert Shwartzman: 232.790 mph
Scott Dixon goes second fastest, three drivers remain
Dixon was considerably faster than Alex Palou, but .4 mph behind Takuma Sato. The final drivers to qualify will be Robert Shwartzman, Pato O’Ward and Felix Rosenqvist.
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Alex Palou goes slower than Sato, four drivers remain
Palou never topped 232 mph on one of his four laps, and could be looking at a sixth-place starting spot.
Takuma Sato posts first Fast 6 speed
Sato went over 233 mph on his first lap, and settled for a four-lap average of 232.478 mph.
Provisional 2025 Indy 500 starting lineup before the Fast 6
The top six drivers will now battle for pole position and the top six places on the grid, but positions No. 7 through No. 33 are set. In Fast 6 qualifying, each driver will only get one attempt.
Fast 6: Felix Rosenqvist, Pato O’Ward, Robert Shwartzman, Scott Dixon, Alex Palou, Takuma Sato
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Jacob Abel goes fourth fastest, will miss the 2025 Indy 500.
Rookie driver Jacob Abel was unable to match his first-run pace, meaning Marco Andretti, Marcus Armstrong and Rinus VeeKay will start on the final row next Sunday.
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Marco Andretti: 229.741 mph
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Marcus Armstrong: 229.091 mph
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Rinus VeeKay: 226.913 mph
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Jacob Abel: 226.394 mph (eliminated)
VeeKay goes third fastest in last-chance qualifying
Drama in the final moments of LCQ! VeeKay went a massive .8 mph slower in his second run than he did in his first, giving Abel the chance to make the show if he can match his first-run speed.
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Marco Andretti: 229.741 mph
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Marcus Armstrong: 229.091 mph
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Rinus VeeKay: 226.913 mph
VeeKay goes slower in first lap
Rinus VeeKay’s gamble to forfeit his previous run and go again could be blowing up in his face. VeeKay was significantly slower on his first lap, and continues to trail the pace of his earlier run.
10 minutes remain in last-chance qualifying
Jacob Abel was set to be the only remaining runner – but Rinus VeeKay is making a surprise run with eight minutes remaining.
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By making a qualifying run, VeeKay is forfeiting his previous speed – meaning if he has any issues during his run, he could be throwing away a spot in the Indy 500.
Jacob Abel next to make a qualifying attempt
In order to cool the car down, Abel will go around the track at a low speed, then prepare for a run that could knock teammate Rinus VeeKay out of the race.
Josef Newgarden goes for a run around the track after missing a chance at pole
Newgarden was not allowed to qualify on Saturday and will start 11th in the 2025 Indy 500. With some extra time on his hands, the Team Penske driver went for a run.
Rinus VeeKay edges Jacob Abel for third
VeeKay had a bit of a troubling run. He used 80+ percent of his hybrid power on the first lap, leading to a big drop off in speed over his following three laps. Marco Andretti and Marcus Armstrong are looking safe to be in the show, and may not need to make another run.
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Marco Andretti: 229.741 mph
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Marcus Armstrong: 229.091 mph
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Rinus VeeKay: 227.740 mph
Jacob Abel posts slowest speed in last-chance qualifying
Abel’s team will have some serious work to do after Abel posted speed two miles per hour slower than Andretti and Armstrong.
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Marco Andretti: 229.741 mph
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Marcus Armstrong: 229.091 mph
Scott McLaughlin to start 10th in 2025 Indy 500
With McLaughlin unable to qualify on Sunday following his crash and his two Team Penske teammates pulled out of qualifying due to technical issues, how will they start on Sunday?
McLaughlin will start 10th, followed by Newgarden in 11th and Power in 12th.
Marco Andretti goes fastest in last-chance qualifying
Andretti has a comfortable edge atop the pylon with 48 minutes remaining in LCQ. Drivers will be allowed to get back in line and make as many runs as time allows.
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Marco Andretti: 229.741 mph
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Marcus Armstrong: 229.091 mph
Marcus Armstrong sets first time in last-chance qualifying
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Marcus Armstrong: 229.091 mph
See Marcus Armstrong’s Saturday practice crash
Armstrong’s team had to rebuild the car after a huge accident on Saturday. Judging by Sunday morning’s practice times, Armstrong (along with Andretti and VeeKay) are favored to make the race over Jacob Abel.
Why Josef Newgarden and Will Power were not allowed to qualify on Sunday
There has been plenty of drama surrounding Team Penske on Sunday, just one year after the successfully locked out the front row in qualifying for the 2024 Indy 500.
In Sunday morning practice, Scott McLaughlin crashed and caused major damage to his car, and was immediately out of Fast 12 qualifying.
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As the cars lined up for qualifying later on Sunday, the cars of Josef Newgarden and Will Power were pulled out of the qualifying line after the team attempted to make adjustments on pit road. Once a car goes through inspection, teams are only allowed to make adjustments to wing angle and tire pressure, but the Team Penske crew was seen taking power tools to the rear attenuator on each of its cars.
An IndyCar official confirmed that both Newgarden and Power’s cars had a body fit violation on the rear attenuator.
According to Team Penske’s Tim Cindric, the No. 12 car of Will Power had actually passed technical inspection, but the No. 2 car of Newgarden’s did not. Cindric said the team believed that they might be able to modify the car prior to qualifying, but they were then pulled out of line.
Last-chance qualifying: Marco Andretti looking to make 2025 Indy 500 field
With Fast 12 qualifying in the books, it’s time to shift to arguably the most dramatic portion of Sunday’s session: Last-chance qualifying.
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33 cars will start the 2025 Indy 500, but there are 34 total entries. One of the following drivers will not be racing next Sunday:
Alex Palou goes fifth fastest to lock into the Fast 6
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Felix Rosenqvist: 232.523 mph
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Robert Shwartzman: 232.008 mph
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David Malukas: 231.599 mph
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Christian Lundgaard: 231.360 mph
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Marcus Ericsson: 231.014 mph
Pato O’Ward goes second fastest
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Felix Rosenqvist: 232.523 mph
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Robert Shwartzman: 232.008 mph
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David Malukas: 231.599 mph
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Christian Lundgaard: 231.360 mph
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Marcus Ericsson: 231.014 mph
Scott Dixon locks in spot in the Fast 6
With only three drivers left to make an attempt, Scott Dixon locked himself into the Fast Six with the third fastest speed.
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Felix Rosenqvist: 232.523 mph
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Robert Shwartzman: 232.008 mph
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David Malukas: 231.599 mph
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Christian Lundgaard: 231.360 mph
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Marcus Ericsson: 231.014 mph
Rookie Robert Shwartzman rockets to second in the standings
Shwartzman, making his IndyCar debut (and oval debut!) for a brand new team in Prema Racing is going to make the Fast Six.
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Felix Rosenqvist: 232.523
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Robert Shwartzman: 232.008
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Christian Lundgaard: 231.360
Felix Rosenqvist leads early runners in Indy 500 qualifying
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Felix Rosenqvist: 232.523
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Christian Lundgaard: 231.360
Josef Newgarden, Will Power out of Fast 12 qualifying
Two favorites for next Sunday’s race will not be allowed to make a qualifying attempt on Sunday after failing technical inspection. It’s been a rough Sunday for Team Penske.
Scott McLaughlin crashes in Sunday morning practice
Scott McLaughlin was very nearly the fastest man in Indianapolis on Saturday, posting a speed just below that of Alex Palou, but the Team Penske driver suffered a major accident in practice on Sunday prior to qualifying and will not make a qualifying attempt.
2025 Indy 500 fast 12 qualifiers:
Drivers are ordered based on their speed in Saturday’s qualifying session. The final order of the top 12 will be determined on Sunday.
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Fast 12 qualifying will begin at 4:05 p.m. ET on FOX, followed by last chance qualifying at 5:15 p.m. ET, and Fast Six qualifying at 6:25 p.m. ET.
What place will Kyle Larson start in the Indy 500?
Kyle Larson will be attempting to do the historic Indy 500 – Coca Cola 600 double next weekend. He made two relatively conservative qualifying runs on Saturday relative to the field, and did not make the top 12 cutoff. He will start the 2025 Indy 500 in 21st position.
Indy 500 Day 1 Qualifying results
The first day of qualifying set positions 13 through 30 on the grid for the Indy 500. The top 12 and the last chance qualifiers will be determined on Sunday, May 18th.
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Four drivers were not locked into the Indy 500 field on Saturday: Marco Andretti, Rinus VeeKay, Jacob Abel and Marcus Armstrong. They will compete for three available positions in last chance qualifying.
Here is the provisional starting order for places 13 through 30:
How to watch Indy 500 qualifying
Fast 12 qualifying will begin at 4:05 p.m. ET on FOX, followed by last chance qualifying at 5:15 p.m. ET, and Fast Six qualifying at 6:25 p.m. ET.
When is the 2025 Indy 500?
The Indy 500 will begin at 12:45 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 25th.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Indy 500 qualifying results: Robert Shwartzman wins stunning pole
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