BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — It is Romain Grosjean’s flip to start out up entrance for Andretti Autosport.
The previous Components 1 driver and Swiss-born Frenchman is attempting to duplicate teammate Kyle Kirkwood’s pole-to-win efficiency after claiming the pole place for Sunday’s IndyCar race at Barber Motorsports Park.
Grosjean emerged together with his third pole and second of the season Saturday after a number of the largest names didn’t make it to the ultimate spherical, together with factors chief and reigning Indianapolis 500 winner Marcus Ericsson, three-time champion Josef Newgarden and two-time winner Will Energy.
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Grosjean, who completed second to Kirkwood at Lengthy Seashore, received the pole for the opener at St. Petersburg however completed 18th after colliding with Scott McLaughlin. Now he’ll search for his first IndyCar win on the bodily difficult everlasting street course.
If the 37-year-old is in a greater temper on the observe today than 2022, it is no shock.
“I am having fun with myself within the automotive, which final yr was not the case,” stated Grosjean, whose contract runs by this yr. “Final yr, I joined the staff to attempt to win races and poles after which win the championship. I used to be battling steadiness.
“I simply could not get [the car] to do what I wished. That performs an enormous function in your persona.”
Grosjean produced a quick lap of 1 minute, 5.8396 seconds.
Hondas make up the entrance row. Alex Palou, who received at Barber in 2021 on his option to a sequence championship, certified second. He certified third in his first two visits to the picturesque observe, ending first and second. That is his first front-row begin since final yr’s Indy 500.
“I suppose it is the closest we have now to Europe, and that is the place I grew up racing,” Palou stated. “That is the rationale why I really like this place.”
Defending champion Pato O’Ward was third, adopted by McLaughlin, six-time sequence champion Scott Dixon and Christian Lundgaard. Dixon has six runner-up finishes at Barber however remains to be searching for his first win on the course.
Newgarden begins seventh, Energy eleventh and Ericsson thirteenth.
“I am annoyed and aggravated, principally at myself,” Newgarden stated. “The automotive was actually phenomenal. There was nothing mistaken with our PPG automotive. It is simply disappointing to not switch.”
No driver has come from exterior the highest 10 to win at Barber, although Energy began ninth en path to his second straight Alabama victory in 2012. 5 of the 12 winners began on the pole, and 4 others opened among the many prime three qualifiers.
There have been eight totally different pole sitters previously eight years at Barber. As traditional, it may come right down to the choice of whether or not to take two pit stops or three.
“That is the fantastic thing about IndyCar,” Grosjean stated. “You by no means know what you are going to get.”
POWER VS. VEEKAY
Energy and Rinus VeeKay had a run-in through the Quick 12 when the latter tried to go on the out lap.
Final yr’s pole winner, VeeKay stated he might need violated a gentleman’s settlement to not make such a transfer however puzzled, “Am I a gentleman?”
“No exhausting emotions, I suppose, each methods,” VeeKay stated. “I am coming from the again. I am the final one in line, so I simply wish to get a great hole within the discipline. I did it final yr and acquired a pole, so why not go everybody on the out lap?
“Will acquired a bit of heated, however that is Will. That is why he is acquired a purple automotive, proper? It wasn’t meant to piss anybody off, however I needed to do one thing to get my place on the observe and I acquired that third lap out of there due to that.”
Energy was searching for his fifth pole at Barber.
MARCUS IN MAY
Ericsson’s 2022 season took off in Might with one robust end adopted by the head, an Indianapolis 500 win.
The Swedish driver is already off to an important begin regardless of the struggles in qualifying, with the return to Indy looming. Ericsson, who acquired married March 11, received the opener at St. Petersburg.
“Clearly successful the five hundred, it does not get significantly better than that,” stated Ericsson, who completed fourth finally yr’s Grand Prix of Indy earlier than successful the large one. “I used to be nonetheless a bit disillusioned with the top of the season, how I kind of fell off a bit of bit within the championship battle. I labored very exhausting this winter to enhance that and take a look at the areas the place I wanted to enhance.”