Fresh off a Formula 1 test, and despite interference from slower cars in two rounds of three, Saturday (July 16) on the Exhibition Place street circuit in Toronto, Andretti Autosport’s Colton Herta became only the first two-time pole winner in 10 races of the 2022 NTT IndyCar Series season.
On even Firestone red tires in the closing seconds of the Fast Six, it was Herta who put down a faster lap than fellow 2022 polesitters Scott Dixon, Josef Newgarden and Alexander Rossi to score the top starting spot for the Honda Indy Toronto, and the ninth pole of his NTT IndyCar Series career.
“That was an intense session,” Herta told NBC Sports after climbing from his Gainbridge Honda. “We hadn’t really found the time until right at the end … I was really happy with that lap. It all kind of came together.”
“The first lap I messed up, trying to judge some traffic and had to back off,” said Dixon, after coming up just short of a first road-course pole since 2016. “Then I overattacked [turn] six, picked up some understeer and kind of lost a tenth and a half. . .All in all, a great weekend for Chip Ganassi Racing, I think all the cars are fast.”
An incident-free first group sent points leader Marcus Ericsson through to the Fast Twelve along with Dixon, Rossi, Callum Ilott, David Malukas and Scott McLaughlin.
Marcus Ericsson leads the way in Group 1. Here are the drivers advancing to Round 2 of qualifying.
1. @Ericsson_Marcus
2. @scottdixon9
3. @AlexanderRossi
4. @callum_ilott
5. @malukasdavid
6. @smclaughlin93#INDYCAR // #IndyTo // @HondaIndy pic.twitter.com/XrHyj1X7u0— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) July 16, 2022
The biggest name eliminated was Arrow McLaren SP’s Pato O’Ward, who will take the green flag from 15th after brushing a concrete wall on his fastest lap, continuing a theme of difficult weekend.
“I haven’t had the speed all weekend. I don’t have another answer for you.”
After grabbing the NTT P1 Award at Mid-Ohio, @PatricioOWard fails to advance to round 2 of qualifying for the #IndyTO.#INDYCAR // @hondaindy pic.twitter.com/hA6NhsVjTC
— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) July 16, 2022
O’Ward shrugged off the idea that contact with the wall ultimately did his qualifying session in. “I haven’t had the speed all weekend. . . I don’t have another answer for you,” O’Ward told NBC. We haven’t gotten better. I go any quicker and I’m bouncing off the walls. . . we don’t have it right now.”
Group two saw…
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