Pato O’Ward drove to the pole in qualifying for Sunday’s NTT IndyCar Series season opener at Barber Motorsports Park. Photo: Chris Owens
It appears Pato O’Ward’s time may be here.
Mexican driver O’Ward was pegged as a rising young star of the NTT IndyCar Series after finishing fourth in the series standings in 2020. He opened the 2021 season Saturday by winning the NTT P1 Award for the pole position for Sunday’s Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park.
O’Ward led the Firestone Fast Six with a lap of 1 minute, 5.8479 seconds in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet. It was the second pole of his career, with the first coming last July for the second race at Road America. He will attempt to earn his first IndyCar victory in the 90-lap race.
“I feel like I have earned by spot in the sport to challenge for podiums and wins,” O’Ward said. “Man, we’ve been working so hard in the offseason, and we’re clicking. Everyone in the team is working well together, and I knew exactly what I needed to get the time out of the reds (Firestone alternate tires), especially. We just had to maintain pace on blacks (Firestone primary tires) because I thought we were pretty strong.
“We did that, and we’re starting on pole. It feels good. These guys deserve it. We’ve got a race to win tomorrow.”
Alexander Rossi will start on the front row with O’Ward after his top lap of 1:05.9177. Alex Palou started his tenure with Chip Ganassi Racing by qualifying third – the top Ganassi driver – at 1:06.0538.
Will Power will start fourth at 1:06.1186. Reigning and six-time series champion Scott Dixon was fifth at 1:06.3976, while Marcus Ericsson was the third Ganassi driver in the Firestone Fast Six by qualifying sixth at 1:06.4102.
Formula One veteran Romain Grosjean was the top-qualifying rookie, seventh, on his 35th birthday. His time of 1:05.7643 in the second round of qualifying fell just short of earning a spot in the Firestone Fast Six.
Other rookie qualifiers were three-time Australian V8 Supercars champion Scott McLaughlin in 12th and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson in 21st.
O’Ward was even quicker during the second round of qualifying than during the Firestone Fast Six, as he ripped off a track-record lap of 1:05.5019 to lead his group. A repave of the 17-turn, 2.3-mile circuit since the series last competed at the picturesque circuit in 2019, along with continued development of the NTT IndyCar Series car and Firestone tires, helped numerous drivers obliterate the previous record of 1:06.6001 set by Sebastien Bourdais in qualifying in 2016.
Rossi and Palou foreshadowed their strong performances in the Firestone Fast Six during practice. Palou was quickest in the first practice, while Rossi paced the second practice.
Track action starts at 11:30 a.m. (ET) Sunday with a 30-minute warm-up session, with the race set for 3 p.m. (ET) on NBC.
NTT IndyCar Series
Barber Motorsports Park – Birgminham, AL
Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama – April 17, 2021
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Saturday’s Qualifying Results
1. (5) Pato O’Ward, Chevrolet, 01:05.8479 (125.744 mph)
2. (27) Alexander Rossi, Honda, 01:05.9177 (125.611)
3. (10) Alex Palou, Honda, 01:06.0538 (125.352)
4. (12) Will Power, Chevrolet, 01:06.1186 (125.230)
5. (9) Scott Dixon, Honda, 01:06.3976 (124.703)
6. (8) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, 01:06.4102 (124.680)
7. (51) Romain Grosjean, Honda, 01:05.7643 (125.904)
8. (2) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 01:05.7902 (125.855)
9. (26) Colton Herta, Honda, 01:05.7957 (125.844)
10. (20) Conor Daly, Chevrolet, 01:05.9118 (125.622)
11. (60) Jack Harvey, Honda, 01:05.9634 (125.524)
12. (3) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, 01:06.7226 (124.096)
13. (18) Ed Jones, Honda, 01:06.5578 (124.403)
14. (21) Rinus VeeKay, Chevrolet, 01:06.4770 (124.554)
15. (22) Simon Pagenaud, Chevrolet, 01:06.6480 (124.235)
16. (14) Sebastien Bourdais, Chevrolet, 01:06.5035 (124.505)
17. (28) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Honda, 01:06.8512 (123.857)
18. (15) Graham Rahal, Honda, 01:06.8489 (123.861)
19. (30) Takuma Sato, Honda, 01:07.1026 (123.393)
20. (59) Max Chilton, Chevrolet, 01:07.0021 (123.578)
21. (48) Jimmie Johnson, Honda, 01:07.7092 (122.288)
22. (7) Felix Rosenqvist, Chevrolet, 01:07.0254 (123.535)
23. (4) Dalton Kellett, Chevrolet, 01:07.8100 (122.106)
24. (29) James Hinchcliffe, Honda, No Time (No Speed)
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