Detroit Grand Prix: Alex Palou dominates

After what was a thrilling Indy 500 and with no break after it, the full time drivers went to Detroit for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix. Will we see Alex Palou dominate here or will it be someone else win and be the championship leader?

Qualifying

The 2026 Detroit Grand Prix qualification session showcased another dominant performance from Alex Palou, who secured pole position with a lap of 1:01.9017. Throughout the session, Palou appeared calm and in control while many of his rivals struggled with Detroit’s unforgiving street circuit. The pole marked his third consecutive pole position of the season and the first time in his career that he had won three straight poles. Even more impressively, those poles came on three completely different types of circuits: the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, the Indianapolis 500 oval, and the streets of Detroit.

Palou said afterward that he felt there was very little left in the lap and was pleased to have put everything together when it mattered most. His performance further strengthened his position at the top of the championship standings and reinforced his status as the driver to beat heading into race day.

Malukas and Schumacher crash in the group stages

Qualifying began with two separate opening-round groups before the field was reduced to the Top 12. During Group 1, Mick Schumacher crashed after placing a wheel onto a dirty section of the circuit and sliding into the barriers. The incident ended his qualifying run early and highlighted how little room for error existed on Detroit’s narrow and bumpy street course.

Later, in Group 2, David Malukas crashed heavily exiting Turn 7 in the closing moments of the session, bringing out a red flag and ending his chances of advancing before the Top 12 began. Malukas had entered the weekend carrying momentum after consecutive runner-up finishes in both the Sonsio Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500, where he narrowly missed victory. Instead, the crash left him starting last and facing a difficult recovery drive on Sunday.

Power pushed Palou closest

After both groups concluded, the fastest six drivers from each group advanced to the Top 12 session, where the field was narrowed further to the Firestone Fast Six. Joining Palou in the final shootout were Will Power, Scott McLaughlin, Scott Dixon, Christian Lundgaard, and Kyle Kirkwood. Power ultimately secured a front-row start alongside Palou with his strongest qualifying performance of the season and his best starting position since joining Andretti Global.

Power came close to earning the 72nd pole position of his career and admitted afterward that he felt he had left a little time on the table. He joked that Palou always seemed to find a way to take pole away from everyone else. Despite missing out, Power viewed the result as an important step forward after a difficult start to the season, which includes inconsistent qualifying performances and disappointing race results.

Kirkwood looked capable of challenging for pole after topping practice earlier in the day, but a lock-up and multiple slides during his Fast Six lap cost him valuable time and left him sixth. Lundgaard’s fifth-place result was especially impressive after an engine issue in practice forced his team to complete an engine change before qualifying.

O’Ward misses out on the Fast Six

Just outside the Fast Six, Pato O’Ward narrowly missed advancing and qualified seventh, while Marcus Armstrong impressed with strong pace throughout the session and secured a place inside the Top 12. The qualifying session repeatedly demonstrated how difficult the Detroit circuit was to master, with drivers battling bumps, low grip levels, changing track conditions, and extremely narrow margins between success and disaster.

In the end, the story of qualifying remained simple. While several contenders made mistakes or were caught out by Detroit’s challenging conditions, Palou delivered another near-perfect performance. The circuit rewarded precision and punished even the smallest errors, and Palou’s ability to produce a clean lap under pressure earned him pole position ahead of Power. With his closest championship rival, Malukas, starting from the back of the field, Palou emerged from qualifying in an even stronger position and looked like the clear favourite heading into Sunday’s race.

Image Credit: IndyCar

Qualifying Results

1. Alex Palou
2. Will Power
3. Scott McLaughlin
4. Scott Dixon
5. Christian Lundgaard
6. Kyle Kirkwood
7. Pato O’Ward
8. Marcus Armstrong
9. Christian Rasmussen
10. Marcus Ericsson
11. Louis Foster
12. Graham Rahal
13. Nolan Siegel
14. Alexander Rossi
15. Dennis Hauger
16. Felix Rosenqvist
17. Kyffin Simpson
18. Rinus VeeKay
19. Caio Collet
20. Romain Grosjean
21. Josef Newgarden
22. Santino Ferrucci
23. Mick Schumacher
24. Sting Ray Robb
25. David Malukas

Race

Palou took the field to the green flag for 100 laps around Detroit. Early in the race, McLaughlin overtook Power for second place, while Newgarden dropped from 21st to 24th. On Lap 10, Rasmussen’s No. 21 car sustained damage after hitting the wall and came to a stop on track, bringing out the caution. The race restarted on Lap 15, with Palou leading the field back to green. One lap later, on Lap 16, Power regained second place from McLaughlin. Then, on Lap 17, Power passed Palou to take the lead.

On Lap 23, Louis Foster ran slightly wide while battling Marcus Armstrong, resulting in minor contact between the two drivers. Foster was placed under investigation for the incident, but no penalty was issued. Two laps later, on Lap 25, Lundgaard made a move on Dixon to gain position.

By Lap 28, Foster was pressuring Ericsson in a bid to take eighth place. Ericsson pitted on Lap 30, allowing Foster to move up into eighth. On Lap 32, McLaughlin passed Palou for second place. During the move, McLaughlin clipped the wall but managed to hold onto the position. On the same lap, Lundgaard also got past Palou to take third place.

Power and McLaughlin fight for the lead

On Lap 35, McLaughlin passed Power for the lead, while Lundgaard also got by Power to move into second place. However, both McLaughlin and Power made pit stops shortly afterwards, allowing Lundgaard to inherit the race lead.

On Lap 39, Rahal was clipped by Simpson, bringing out a caution. However, Rahal was able to continue after the incident. The race restarted on Lap 45, with Palou leading the field back to green. On the same lap, Rosenqvist made contact with VeeKay. Two laps later, on Lap 47, VeeKay moved into 12th place ahead of Ferrucci after Ferrucci braked late. On Lap 48, Rosenqvist also passed Ferrucci, taking 13th place.

As the race entered its final 50 laps, Palou remained at the front of the field. Several drivers made their second pit stops early in an attempt to gain track position. A caution was brought out on Lap 66 when Ferrucci clipped the rear of VeeKay’s car, sending VeeKay into a spin. Ferrucci also came to a stop, but both drivers were able to continue. Ferrucci was placed under investigation for the incident. The caution effectively ended Kirkwood’s chances of victory, as he had not made his pit stop before the yellow flag was displayed.

Palou’s race to win

Palou led the field on Lap 72. Behind him, Malukas overtook Schumacher for third place. On Lap 74, Malukas and Schumacher ran side-by-side into a corner, with Schumacher making contact with the wall and bringing out another caution. Despite the incident, both drivers were able to continue. Dixon retired from the race due to mechanical problems. Lap 77, Palou regained the lead of the race on the restart and led the field away. Meanwhile, Rossi was issued a penalty that he would have to serve.

McLaughlin passed Rahal for fourth place, but Rahal then clipped the wall, allowing Power to move ahead of him. On Lap 78, Power overtook McLaughlin to take third place. A lap later, on Lap 79, Kirkwood closed in on Palou and began challenging for the race lead.

A caution was brought out on Lap 80 when Ferrucci stopped on track with mechanical issues. The yellow flag effectively ended Kirkwood’s chances of taking the lead, as the caution froze the field before he could make a move on Palou. During the caution period, Power retired from the race after spending several laps battling McLaughlin for third place.

The race restarted on Lap 83, with Palou leading the field back to the green flag. Lap 87, Palou locked up and went wide on turn eight. On lap 80, McLaughlin retired from the race with mechanical issues. During the same lap, Grosjean was involved in an incident with Rossi. Rossi attempted a crossover move but made contact with the rear of Grosjean’s car, sending Grosjean into another car ahead. The collision brought out a caution, and Grosjean’s front wing was damaged and came loose. Marshals removed the damaged wing, and Grosjean headed straight to the pits for repairs.

The final laps

Palou took the lead on the green with seven laps to go. McLaughlin came back out from the pit lane a few laps down from the pack. As it got down to the last few laps, Palou kept his distance from Kirkwood to maintain the lead. Grosjean officially retired from the race after the contact with Rossi. Palou crossed the line first to win at Detroit.

Top Ten

1. Alex Palou
2. Kyle Kirkwood
3. Graham Rahal
4. Pato O’Ward
5. Christian Lundgaard
6. Felix Rosenqvist
7. Louis Foster
8. Marcus Ericsson
9. Kyffin Simpson
10. Josef Newgarden

Indycar is back again next week for the Worldwide technology raceway for the Bommarito Automotive Group 500.

Feature Image Credit: IndyCar

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