IndyCar: 2021 Laguna Seca qualifying – Full starting lineup

The starting lineup for the penultimate race of the 2021 IndyCar season at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca is set following Saturday’s qualifying session.

WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca is set to play host to the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey, the 15th of 16 races on the 2021 IndyCar schedule, this Sunday afternoon.

This race was one of many races axed from the 2020 schedule as a result of COVID-19-related restrictions. In fact, none of the three races in the current three-race stretch to end the 2021 season actually happened last year.

Qualifying for what could end up being the title decider, based on the lead held by Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou in the championship standings, took place on Saturday afternoon.

Andretti Autosport’s Colton Herta took the pole position for this 95-lap race around the 11-turn, 2.238-mile (3.602-kilometer) WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca natural terrain road course in Monterey, California by recording the top lap time in the Firestone Fast Six qualifying session.

Herta took the pole position by recording a top lap time of 70.7994 seconds (113.798 miles per hour) behind the wheel of his #26 Honda in the third and final round of qualifying for the race.

It’s set to be an all-Andretti Autosport front row, as Alexander Rossi qualified in second place behind the wheel of his #27 Honda.

Palou qualified in fourth place behind the wheel of his #10 Honda and was the highest qualifier among the remaining championship contenders, a huge plus for him as he aims to become the first new champion since Josef Newgarden won the 2017 title.

Arrow McLaren SP’s Pato O’Ward qualified in sixth place behind the wheel of his #5 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing teammates Marcus Ericsson and Scott Dixon qualified in seventh and eighth behind the wheel of their #8 Honda and #9 Honda, respectively, and Team Penske’s Newgarden qualified in a disappointing 17th behind the wheel of his #2 Chevrolet.

Here is the full starting lineup for the 2021 Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

Starting Lineup
1st – Colton Herta
2nd – Alexander Rossi
3rd – Will Power
4th – Alex Palou
5th – Oliver Askew
6th – Pato O’Ward
7th – Marcus Ericsson
8th – Scott Dixon
9th – Simon Pagenaud
10th – Max Chilton
11th – James Hinchcliffe
12th – Graham Rahal
13th – Romain Grosjean
14th – Ed Jones
15th – Felix Rosenqvist
16th – Scott McLaughlin
17th – Josef Newgarden
18th – Conor Daly
19th – Ryan Hunter-Reay
20th – Jack Harvey
21st – Sebastien Bourdais
22nd – Helio Castroneves
23rd – Takuma Sato
24th – Rinus VeeKay
25th – Jimmie Johnson
26th – Callum Ilott
27th – Dalton Kellett

Tune in to NBC at 3:00 p.m. ET tomorrow afternoon for the live broadcast of the 2021 Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey from WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. If you have not begun your free trial of FuboTV, now would be a great time to do so!