Colton Herta secured a surprising pole position at the 2024 Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix on Saturday, turning heads with a blistering lap time of 1:00.477 on the challenging street circuit. This achievement marked Herta’s 15th career pole and his first since Toronto earlier this year, reaffirming Andretti Global’s dominance in qualifying, especially on street courses.
Despite a tough Friday practice session that left the team unsure about their pace, Herta’s car, powered by Gainbridge Honda, came alive during qualifying. His performance was a welcome turnaround, setting him up at the front of the grid for Sunday’s race and delivering a strong statement about his and Andretti Global’s competitiveness in the NTT IndyCar Series.
Strong Andretti Global Showing and Early Strategy Decisions
The qualifying session saw Herta join two others who took an early gamble to save fresh soft tires for the decisive Fast 6 round. Alongside his Andretti Global teammate Kyle Kirkwood and David Malukas from A.J. Foyt Racing, this calculated choice allowed them to reach the session’s final stage. This positioned Andretti Global to target another front-row sweep, mirroring their recent success in the Indy NXT qualifying earlier that day.
Kyle Kirkwood’s hopes of a pole were dashed when his car unexpectedly snapped loose, causing damage to a tow link and forcing him to settle for third place. The incident handed Malukas a chance to match his best qualifying finish and set a personal best on a street circuit by securing second. Malukas, the runner-up of the Indianapolis 500, expressed his satisfaction with the result, noting that the team felt strong right from unloading their car in Detroit.
“We’re starting off where we finished,”
Malukas said.
“We’re still in that P2 spot. Really good session. I think as soon as we unloaded the car in Detroit, we knew we were having a good run.”
—David Malukas, A.J. Foyt Racing driver
Christian Lundgaard of Arrow McLaren was the highest qualifier outside the Fast 6, finishing fourth on used alternate tires, while Graham Rahal completed the top five. Alex Palou, who has been a dominant force early in the season, rounded out the Fast 6 lineup.
Highlights and Challenges Through the Qualifying Rounds
In the Fast 12 round, Herta set the pace with a lap of 1:00.4569, narrowly outpacing teammate Kirkwood. Malukas, Lundgaard, Palou, and Rahal maintained their positions to secure spots in the final round. Lundgaard’s run was disrupted by an excursion into the turn 8 runoff, which led to a penalty but he recovered enough to advance. Notably, Rinus VeeKay, driving for Dale Coyne Racing with veteran engineer Michael Cannon back on the crew, just missed out on the Fast 6 spot by a slim margin.
Scott McLaughlin, Will Power, and Scott Dixon made up the rest of the top 10 qualifiers, although Rahal and Dixon were set to drop several grid positions due to unapproved engine changes. Consequently, Rahal will start 11th and Dixon 16th on race day despite their qualifying performances.
Will Power dominated the opening group with the only lap under 1:01, while Palou narrowly secured a Fast 12 spot with a strong late lap. Meanwhile, drivers such as Marcus Ericsson, Felix Rosenqvist, Callum Ilott, and Kyffin Simpson missed advancing to the later rounds despite initial optimism. Notably, Rosenqvist faced frustration over his elimination, blaming teammate Marcus Armstrong for compromising his qualifying lap on the tight Detroit streets.
“We had traffic from our own teammate,”
Rosenqvist told FOX Sports.
“Armstrong was just backing off in the middle of the lap. I guess as long as he had a good lap and hit the gap, whatever.”
“I think it’s stupid. We literally discussed it before, (said) ‘Let’s not screw each other.’ And he literally did just that.”
—Felix Rosenqvist, Meyer Shank Racing driver
Additional Notable Performances and Setbacks
Herta’s second group qualifying pace was impressive, securing advancement amid tough competition including Rahal, Malukas, Christian Rasmussen, Kirkwood, and Dixon. Rookie Louis Foster narrowly missed the cut by less than a hundredth of a second, along with Alexander Rossi, Pato O’Ward, and Jacob Abel. The session also saw mechanical troubles for Arrow McLaren’s Nolan Siegel, who suffered an engine problem and fell far off the pace. Josef Newgarden, looking to recover from an earlier mechanical failure in the Indianapolis 500, was sidelined after brushing the wall and damaging a toe link late in qualifying.
Looking Ahead to Race Day in Detroit
Colton Herta’s pole position sets the stage for a fiercely competitive Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix on Sunday. His strong performance not only extends Andretti Global’s street circuit mastery but also injects hope and intensity into their championship pursuit. The session’s incidents and grid penalties imply that the race will have dynamic battles through the field, with drivers eager to capitalize on their starting positions.
The drivers will face a Sunday warmup session at 9:30 a.m. ET on FS1 before the green flag drops at 12:30 p.m. ET on FOX. Herta’s desire for a clean race without interruptions emphasizes the challenging nature of street circuits and the fine margins that define success. Fans should anticipate an intense contest with strategy, skill, and endurance all in play as the season advances.