Phoenix – Qualifying: First pole for Malukas, Grosjean at the back of the grid

Penske secures top positions for the race in Phoenix, with David Malukas taking his first career IndyCar pole.

Published 07/03/2026 à 10:15

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Phoenix – Qualifying: First pole for Malukas, Grosjean at the back of the grid

During qualifying for the first race on an oval track, Team Penske locked down the front positions. Already fastest in previous practice sessions, David Malukas confirmed his impressive form by securing his first pole position with an average speed of 175,383 mph (282,151 km/h) over the two laps.

« Finally! I'm so happy! he exclaimed into the Fox Sports microphone. So many P2s. Last season, the story of the ovals was like this: we had it, we waited until the last drivers, then boom, you get P2. But in the end, we got it. He continued: I think the track finally worked in our favor; it seemed to be starting to deteriorate a bit. It's a great feeling. What a great way to kick off our race day tomorrow in Phoenix! "David Malukas is ahead of his teammate, the two-time champion and oval specialist, Josef Newgarden.

"FINALLY, WE GOT IT!"
@malukasdavid doesn't hold back his excitement after taking home his first NTT P1 Award 👏 pic.twitter.com/PVNkZmmqhy

—NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) March 6, 2026

For its part, Mick Schumacher (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing) was the first driver to set a solid benchmark of 173,667 mph (279,490 km/h). Ultimately dethroned, the German driver nevertheless secured fourth position in his second start in the category. Reigning champion and St. Petersburg winner Álex Palou (Chip Ganassi Racing) had a more subdued session, managing only tenth place. As for Romain Grosjean (Dale Coyne Racing), the Frenchman will begin his climb from twentieth place.

The session was also marked by an incident at Andretti. On his second lap, Will Power made a mistake but escaped uninjured. This error is consistent with his disappointing opening race (22nd), after 17 seasons with Penske. Following his heavy crash in FP1, Felix Rosenqvist (Meyer Shank Racing) was forced to miss qualifying.