IndyCar standings chief Alex Palou was one of many drivers eradicated within the first spherical of qualifying.
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Revealed Jul 15, 2023 • Final up to date 6 hours in the past • 3 minute learn
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TORONTO — Christian Lundgaard mastered driving within the rain when he was rising up in Denmark. He’ll must put that to the take a look at on the Honda Indy Toronto.
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Lundgaard took the pole on a moist road course at Toronto’s Exhibition Place on Saturday, ending 0.3223 seconds forward of Scott McLaughlin and 0.3933 forward of Pato O’Ward. The Danish driver was pessimistic about his possibilities to win the race, at the same time as he begins on Sunday on the head of the grid.
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“I do suppose that we’ll be quick tomorrow, I simply don’t suppose we’ll be the quickest automotive,” mentioned Lundgaard. “I don’t suppose we’ve proven that tempo all through the weekend.
“I hope the enhancements that we did make from follow into qualifying, the modifications that we made will repay tomorrow.”
IndyCar standings chief Alex Palou was one of many drivers eradicated within the first spherical of qualifying. Palou had gained 4 consecutive races heading into the Toronto occasion however will begin fifteenth in Sunday’s race.
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Reigning Honda Indy Toronto champion Scott Dixon didn’t advance previous the second spherical of qualifying and might be seventh on the grid. He’s second within the IndyCar season standings behind Palou, his Chip Ganassi Racing teammate.
Toronto’s Devlin DeFrancesco, the one Canadian driver in IndyCar, might be twenty second out of 27 to start out the race.
“I wouldn’t be disenchanted with the win,” joked Lundgaard. “We do lead the sector off, nevertheless it’s powerful.”
Rain dictated the tempo for qualifying on Saturday afternoon, with a gentle downpour resulting in a monitor maintain between the primary and second teams within the first spherical of qualifying. Though the solar peaked by way of the clouds and began drying the course for the second and remaining rounds of qualifying, the road course’s mixture of surfaces dried at completely different paces.
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“It’s in all probability one of many hardest road programs I’ve ever combated within the rain,” mentioned McLaughlin. “The concrete dries faster than the asphalt.
“Making an attempt to determine that out, you’ve bought to try this in break up seconds and belief that the automotive goes to cease.”
When the second group began its first-round laps, Agustin Canapino spun out on the slick, moist highway however rapidly recovered with out doing any injury to his automotive. Graham Rahal spun out shortly after, together with his entrance wing going right into a wall and having to get replaced.
The solar got here out in time for the second spherical of qualifying, however some sections, particularly Flip 8 within the course’s northwest nook, nonetheless had puddles as the highest 12 went out.
O’Ward put in the most effective lap of the second spherical of qualifying in his final go-round to bump Dixon from the Firestone Quick 6.
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McLaughlin additionally briefly misplaced management early within the remaining spherical of qualifying, narrowly getting out of the best way of Marcus Ericsson.
It seemed like McLaughlin would possibly get penalized and dropped out of the second place however, after a 15-minute wait, the qualifying outcomes have been licensed by race officers. McLaughlin was visibly offended as he sat in his automotive ready for the decision.
“I knew that everybody went quicker from that time (in qualifying),” mentioned McLaughlin. “I ought to lose my quickest laps as much as that time however I shouldn’t lose my greatest time as a result of everybody went quick and I didn’t decelerate anybody else.
“So yeah, I’ve bought to depend to 5 generally.”
There’s a 70 per cent likelihood of extra rain on Sunday, together with thunderstorms. Lundgaard mentioned that if it rains through the race visibility might be even worse since there might be extra vehicles on the course than throughout qualifying.
“Fortunately, I’m on the market within the entrance and I gained’t must take care of that, at the very least to start with,” mentioned Lundgaard.
“I’ll in all probability move you,” quipped McLaughlin.
“We’ll see,” replied Lundgaard.
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed July 15, 2023.
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