PORTLAND, Oregon – Felix Rosenqvist delivered when it mattered most Saturday at Portland International Raceway, edging championship leader Alex Palou by just 0.0184 seconds to claim the NTT P1 Award for the OnlyBulls Grand Prix of Portland.
Rosenqvist’s final qualifying lap of 58.4828 seconds put the Meyer Shank Racing driver on pole for Sunday’s 110-lap race, earning him his 2nd pole of the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season and the 8th of his career.
The result capped an impressive turnaround for Rosenqvist and Meyer Shank Racing. After acknowledging that the team was somewhat behind the pace Friday, Rosenqvist and his crew steadily refined the No. 60 SiriusXM Honda throughout the weekend. Their work paid off in the Firestone Fast Six, where Rosenqvist waited until the closing seconds to deliver the lap that mattered.
“It’s a phenomenal team effort,” Rosenqvist said. “We just kept tuning on it. I think we started off a little bit behind yesterday and really didn’t do anything magical. We just tried to focus on execution and putting all the corners together.”
Rosenqvist now has the advantage heading into Sunday’s race, but Palou starts directly alongside him and Power sits only one position back.
For Rosenqvist, it is an opportunity to add another victory to his final season with Meyer Shank Racing before moving to Arrow McLaren in 2027. For Palou, it is another chance to strengthen a championship lead that already stands at 83 points.
Qualifying Results | Starting Grid
Palou Comes Up Just Short
Palou appeared poised to take another pole before Rosenqvist’s late charge.
The Chip Ganassi Racing driver in the No. 10 Honda posted a 58.5012, securing the second starting spot and a front-row berth for the championship’s 13th race of the season. Palou was looking for his 7th pole of 2026, but ultimately had to settle for second by less than two hundredths of a second.
Despite missing pole, the result continues a strong Portland weekend for the reigning series champion. Palou topped Friday’s opening practice and remained near the front throughout Saturday’s sessions.
With 6 races remaining in the season, Palou enters Sunday’s race holding an 83-point advantage over David Malukas. Starting ahead of both Malukas and 3rd place championship contender Kyle Kirkwood gives Palou another opportunity to extend that lead.
“I had too much lunch today, man,” Palou said with a smile when asked where he could have found more speed on his best lap. “It’s so close. It hurts when it’s that close. But happy for Felix, happy for a Honda 1-2 there. Let’s see what kind of car we have for the race.”
Power Leads Andretti Charge
Will Power in the No. 26 Honda will start P3 after putting together a 58.5130, only 0.0302 seconds off Rosenqvist’s pole time.
The result continues Power’s remarkable Portland form. The two-time defending race winner has made the circuit one of his strongest venues, and his move to Andretti Global has not slowed him down. Power’s teammate Marcus Ericsson in the No. 28 Honda qualified P4 with a 58.6729, giving Andretti two cars in the second row.
Power believed he had a legitimate shot at pole but admitted a mistake on his final lap cost him the opportunity.
“I definitely had a car that was capable of pole there,” Power said. “I made a mistake on the last lap, on the last corner, Turn 7. It was a pity, but still, third’s nice.”
And for Power, Portland presents a chance to make it three consecutive victories at a circuit he has dominated in recent seasons.
VeeKay, Simpson Complete the Fast Six
Rinus VeeKay continued his breakout Portland weekend by qualifying P5, his best starting position of the 2026 season. The Juncos Hollinger Racing in the No. 76 Chevrolet was also the fastest Chevrolet-powered driver in the Firestone Fast Six with a 58.7701.
Kyffin Simpson completed the top six, earning his 1st Firestone Fast Six appearance of the season. The Chip Ganassi Racing sophomore driver in the No. 8 Honda adapted well as track conditions changed throughout qualifying and will start alongside VeeKay on the third row.
Honda dominated the session, placing 10 of the first 12 qualifiers and sweeping all three knockout rounds. VeeKay was the only Chevrolet driver to reach the Fast Six.
Dixon’s Qualifying Ends in the Wall
Scott Dixon’s afternoon took a dramatic turn during the 2nd round.
The six-time series champion made heavy contact with the wall at the Turn 1 chicane, damaging the right-front of his No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Dixon still advanced into the Fast 12 but could not challenge for a spot in the final round, ultimately qualifying 12th.
Dixon’s starting position will put him in the middle of a potentially chaotic opening stint, with Portland’s tight first-corner complex notorious for creating trouble when the field funnels into the chicane.
McLaren Endures a Rough Qualifying Session
Arrow McLaren endured one of its most difficult qualifying sessions of the season.
All three McLaren drivers failed to advance from the opening round. Pato O’Ward will start 17th, Nolan Siegel 16th and Christian Lundgaard a disappointing 25th after mechanical and power-related issues hampered Lundgaard’s session.
Lundgaard’s result is particularly surprising given his strong record on natural road courses this season.
Marcus Armstrong also suffered a major reversal of fortune. After topping Practice 2 earlier Saturday, Armstrong was eliminated in the opening round and will start 20th.
Malukas’ Penalty Creates More Championship Drama
David Malukas qualified 9th with a 58.8690, but the Team Penske driver will not start there.
Due to a six-place grid penalty stemming from an unapproved engine change at the previous round at Nashville will drop Malukas to 15th on the official starting grid. That puts the championship runner-up well behind Palou and increases the likelihood that Palou can leave Portland with an even larger points advantage.
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