Qualifying report at Indy Toronto

Written by Charlotte Mui

Credit: Julia Bissessar

Colton Herta took pole on the streets of Toronto for the second year in a row, putting himself in a great position to defend his 2024 victory and further cementing Andretti’s dominance on street circuits. Reigning IndyCar champion Alex Palou will start alongside him on the front row, while Marcus Armstrong, equaling his best-ever qualifying result, will start third.

As it happened:

Group 1 of qualifying got underway at 2:30 pm local time. Not too long into the session, Nolan Siegel hit a bump and ran off into the escape road. Having only been cleared to race on Thursday following a concussion in Iowa, this wasn’t the result he would have been hoping for. Posting a 1:00.346, he will start 13th on the grid, just missing out on the Fast 12. 

McLaren’s woes continued as Christian Lundgaard, the 2023 winner, also failed to advance. He could only manage a 1:00.452, leaving him in 19th for the race. It’s yet another street circuit where the Arrow McLaren camp seems to be struggling for pace. 

Kyle Kirkwood, riding off good momentum from a successful two practice sessions, topped Group 1 with a 59.906. The Andretti Global cars look, once again, at home on the bumpy street surfaces.

There was a standout moment for Calum Ilott, who put together a strong lap to give PREMA Racing, a newcomer to the series this year, a rare appearance in the next phase of qualifying.

Credit: Julia Bissessar

Group 2 began with a sigh of relief from Marcus Ericsson, whose engineers were working frantically to fix his brake issues in time for the session.  

Christian Rasmussen had a moment with a massive lock-up into Turn 8 and a brush with the wall at the exit of the final corner. Luckily, he escaped with no damage. 

Palou, ever-consistent, went fastest after his first lap, until Herta immediately responded by edging ahead by just one hundredth of a second, further showcasing Andretti’s street-course pace.  

It was nearly disastrous for McLaren as Pato O’Ward wasn’t able to put together a clean first lap. But in the dying seconds of the session, he pulled out a 1:00.224 to slot into sixth, narrowly making it into the Fast 12 and avoiding the fates of his teammates.

Armstrong, representing Meyer Shank Racing, topped Group 2 with a 1:00.098, continuing his impressive qualifying form in 2025. 

Credit: Julia Bissessar

Round two began with a similar story: Kirkwood once again leading the pack with the fastest time, continuing his strong form this weekend. It wasn’t all smooth sailing for the rest of the Andretti team, though, as both of Kirkwood’s teammates struggled on their first run and found themselves in the drop zone. 

Turn 8 continued to be a troublesome spot, with Scott Dixon suffering a lock-up–just the latest of drivers making mistakes in that corner. 

Ilott, after impressing in the initial round, was unable to put together a clean lap, leaving him down in 11th. He was heard complaining about traffic from other cars, indicating that he felt there was more pace available.

In the closing stages, Graham Rahal, impressed with a 1:00.317, jumping up to fourth and knocking out his own teammate.

The session ended with Kirkwood and Will Power at the top, who were the only two setting a time under the one-minute mark. Herta, Rahal, Palou and Armstrong made up the rest of the places for the Firestone Fast 6, setting up the fight for pole.

Credit: Julia Bissessar

With the field narrowed down to six, attention now turned to the shootout for pole. Palou briefly went to the top, but was immediately displaced by Herta. The Andretti definitely appeared to be the car to beat. 

Kirkwood, though he had been the standout performer in practice and the earlier qualifying session, had a huge slide at the first corner and was unable to set a fast lap. After such a promising lead-up, he will be disappointed that the lap eluded him when it mattered most.

Armstrong then jumped to provisional pole, continuing his strong weekend, but it wasn’t enough to hold off Herta, who set a blistering 59.832. This time secured him pole at this circuit for the second consecutive year, and the third time in his career. Palou slotted in just behind him to complete the front row. 

The stage is set for an intriguing race on Sunday. Can Herta hold off Palou for his first win of the season, or will Palou take yet another win in what’s shaping up to be a historically dominant season? 

The race gets underway at noon on Sunday.