IndyCar Grand Prix of Toronto 2025: Herta Dominates Qualifying, Palou Aims for Historic Triumph

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The streets of Toronto, Canada, will transform into an arena of speed on Sunday for the 13th round of the 2025 IndyCar season. Colton Herta from Andretti Global secured pole position with a breathtaking time under 60 seconds, while championship leader Alex Palou will be attacking for his first historic victory outside the USA.

Qualifying Drama

Saturday's qualifying offered thrilling entertainment full of surprises and outstanding performances.

Colton Herta (Andretti Global) achieved a phenomenal time of 59.832 seconds in the Fast 6 and secured his second consecutive pole position in Toronto. Last year he dominated the entire weekend including all practice sessions, qualifying, and the race, but is still without a victory in the 2025 season.

"We dominated here last year, this year we want to repeat the same result," says the confident American driver.

Alex Palou (Chip Ganassi Racing) took second place in qualifying with a time of 1:00.107. He leads the championship with a 129-point advantage and has a record seven victories this season. However, he has never won an IndyCar race outside the USA.

"Toronto is my big challenge. A victory in Canada would mean a lot to me," admits the Spanish champion.

Marcus Armstrong (Meyer Shank Racing) completed an excellent third place as a promising talent who showed speed in every part of qualifying.

"We have a great starting position for the race, the front row was within reach," evaluates the New Zealand driver.

Surprises and Disappointments

Qualifying brought several unexpected moments. Kyle Kirkwood from Andretti Global, a favorite for pole position, finished only sixth after an error in the final segment. Six-time champion Scott Dixon from Chip Ganassi Racing will drop six positions due to a penalty for an unapproved engine change.

Josef Newgarden from Team Penske, defending winner from 2017, failed to advance to the Fast 12. Scott McLaughlin and Felix Rosenqvist were eliminated in the first qualifying group.

Iconic Street Circuit

Exhibition Place in Toronto is one of the most challenging street circuits on the calendar. The track has 11 turns over a length of 2.874 km with a narrow circuit and minimal space for overtaking. Strategic Turn 8 has become a key point for many drivers.

It's the second longest-running street race in IndyCar behind the Grand Prix of Long Beach. Since 2017, no driver starting from the front row has won.

"Toronto is a brutally demanding circuit. One mistake means the end of hopes," explains Will Power, who will start from fourth place.

Championship at Stake

The Toronto race could significantly influence the championship shape. Alex Palou leads with 627 points and a 129-point advantage over second-place Pato O'Ward (498 points). Will Power is third with 460 points and Kyle Kirkwood fourth with 438 points and three victories in the 2025 season.

Starting Grid

Front Row:

  1. Colton Herta (Andretti Global) - 59.832
  2. Alex Palou (Chip Ganassi Racing) - 1:00.107

Second Row: 3. Marcus Armstrong (Meyer Shank Racing) 4. Will Power (Team Penske)

Third Row: 5. Graham Rahal (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing) 6. Kyle Kirkwood (Andretti Global)

Honda Indy Toronto 2025 will be run on Sunday for 90 laps. Driver introductions begin at 12:00 PM local time and the race start is at 1:30 PM local time. Live coverage will be on NBC and Peacock.

More information: 24live.com
Thank you to Stats Perform for providing the data and photographs.
Photo source: RacingNews 365


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