P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Arrow McLaren driver Pato O’Ward has ‘no explanation’ to his strong qualifying performance which puts him on pole for tomorrow’s race.
In a surprising turn of events, Pato O’Ward secured pole position for the upcoming race at the IndyCar Grand Prix of Portland, despite struggling in earlier practice sessions.
O’Ward was fastest in Group One and continued to impress during the qualifying session, ultimately claiming the pole position spot.
His teammate, Christian Lundgaard, who set the fastest lap time, will start in seventh place due to an engine change penalty.
While O’Ward was pleased with his performance, he expressed confusion over his unexpected success compared to practice.
The championship contender reflected on the team’s hard work and improvements since last year’s challenging race at the Portland Grand Prix.
Alex Palou, the current championship leader, faced setbacks during qualifying and will start in fifth position, providing O’Ward with an opportunity to keep his championship hopes alive.
