P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Saturday afternoon at Laguna Seca was reserved for the NTT IndyCar series, and the 27 entrants wasted no time getting on track to set the order for Sunday’s race. The sun was out and air temperatures were higher than expected, leading to a track temperature that climbed above 130F (55C). Nearly all the drivers struggled […]
The high air temperatures and sun caused the track temperature to rise above 130F (55C), making it challenging for most drivers to handle the softer red walled tires. Numerous drivers struggled, leading to several off-track excursions and early exits from the qualifying session. Alex Palou excelled in these conditions, securing his second pole of the season with a lap time of 1:07.1465. Kyle Kirkwood claimed the outside front row, recognizing the difficulty of overtaking on the 2.24-mile course. Felix Rosenqvist and Colton Herta secured the third and fourth starting positions, respectively, with Herta being a crowd favorite on his home track. Alexander Rossi, the sole Chevrolet representative in the Fast 6, qualified fifth, just ahead of Christina Lundgaard. Scott McLaughlin narrowly missed the top group, starting from the fourth row alongside Rossi. Romain Grosjean, starting from eighth, expressed frustration with traffic during qualifying, acknowledging the challenges it poses. David Malukas, back from injury, advanced to the second round, starting 12th to demonstrate his readiness to perform. Agustin Canapino narrowly missed advancement, starting 13th, while Team Penske drivers Josef Newgarden and Will Power faced difficulties with the red tires, starting from the seventh and eighth rows. Nolan Siegel capitalized on others’ struggles to secure the 23rd starting position for the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey. The race will begin at 3:30 PM Pacific Time, with slightly cooler conditions expected.
