O’Ward snags the pole for Mid- Ohio
The IndyCar championship race faces a major shakeup at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, where the top title contenders struggled and Pato O’Ward won the pole to match a series mark set in 1961.
O’Ward became the ninth different pole winner through nine races this season — the first time that’s happened in 61 years — and the Arrow McLaren SP driver now has a shot at the IndyCar points lead.
The modern-day record for different drivers winning the pole to start a season is 10 in 1952.
“This is huge man, it’s a track position race,” O’Ward said of the difficulty to pass on MidOhio’s 13- turn, 2.258-mile course. “It’s a long race. A lot can happen but we have a great starting position.”
The championship leaders will start Sunday’s race mired in deep traffic.
Marcus Ericsson, Will Power and Josef Newgarden all failed to advance out of the first group of Saturday qualifying, then reigning series champion Alex Palou was knocked out of the second
round.
“IndyCar, man,” said Palou, with a shrug.
It created a huge opportunity for O’Ward and Scott Dixon to make up serious ground in the championship race. O’Ward and Dixon were the only two drivers ranked in the top six of the championship standings to advance to the final round of Saturday qualifying; O’Ward is ranked fourth in the standings, 45 points behind Ericsson, while Dixon trails his Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Ericsson by 69 points.
Formula One: Carlos Sainz was fastest in the rain in qualifying for the British Grand Prix to earn his first career pole position in his 150th start. He edged reigning Formula One champion Max Verstappen, who was booed by some in the crowd at the end of the session. Leclerc will start third, ahead of Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull. Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton qualified fifth for his home race as Mercedes seemed to have made progress with its problems of bouncing at high speed. His teammate George Russell was eighth. As Verstappen spoke trackside following qualifying the boos were audible for the Dutchman. Verstappen and Hamilton collided in last year’s race.