Qualifying commences at 11am ET on Saturday, 18 May. Each car is given a single, four-lap run to set an average speed – and goes in an order selected by random draw on Friday night (listed at the bottom of this story).
When every car in the qualifying order for Saturday has had at least one chance to qualify, teams may choose from two lanes at the end of the pits for subsequent attempts.
Cars in the Priority Lane (Lane 1) must withdraw their qualified time but get priority access to the track ahead of Lane 2. That second lane is for cars that have already qualified and want to try to improve their position but choose not to risk forfeiting the speed average they have already set.
The fastest 12 drivers will progress to contest the front four rows of three. The four drivers who will squabble over the three slots on the last row will also have been defined.
On Sunday, 19 May, from midday the dozen drivers still in the fight for pole will get a one-hour practice session, and this will be immediately followed by an hour’s practice for the desperate quartet due to battle over the last row.
Sunday's Indy 500 qualifying format
From 3:05pm comes Top 12 qualifying, in which positions seven through 12 will be determined. Their running order is based on Saturday times, slowest to fastest, and each car is guaranteed one attempt. The quickest of the six then advance to the Firestone Fast Six shootout.
At 4:15pm, the four Last Chance Qualifiers will compete for positions 31-33 – there are 34 entries for this year’s race, so someone is going home on Sunday night.
The car’s most recent qualification speed will remain eligible for the starting lineup until the time is withdrawn or qualifications end.
At 5:25pm comes the Firestone Fast Six shootout for pole position in the 108th running of ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing’. Positions 1-6 will be determined and the running order is based on times from top 12 Qualifying, slowest to fastest. Each car is guaranteed one attempt.
The top 12 drivers on the starting grid will receive IndyCar Series points, with the P1 Award winner earning 12, the second fastest 11, down to one point for the 12th-placed starter.
Saturday qualifying order
1 Kyle Kirkwood - No. 27 Andretti Global Honda
2 Scott McLaughlin - No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet
3 Kyffin Simpson - No. 4 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
4 Rinus VeeKay - No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet
5 Romain Grosjean - No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet
6 Kyle Larson - No. 17 McLaren-Hendrick Chevrolet
7 Agustin Canapino - No. 78 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet
8 Callum Ilott - No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
9 Will Power - No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet
10 Josef Newgarden - No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet
11 Marcus Armstrong - No. 11 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
12 Nolan Siegel - No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing Honda
13 Santino Ferrucci - No. 14 A.J. Foyt Enterprises Chevrolet
14 Christian Lundgaard - No. 45 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
15 Marcus Ericsson - No. 28 Andretti Global Honda
16 Linus Lundqvist - No. 8 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
17 Marco Andretti - No. 98 Andretti Herta with Marco and Curb-Agajanian Honda
18 Ed Carpenter - No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet
19 Katherine Legge - No. 51 Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing Honda
20 Conor Daly - No. 24 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Chevrolet
21 Pietro Fittipaldi - No. 30 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
22 Tom Blomqvist - No. 66 Meyer Shank Racing Honda
23 Pato O'Ward - No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
24 Felix Rosenqvist - No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda
25 Alex Palou - No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
26 Takuma Sato - No. 75 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
27 Scott Dixon - No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
28 Sting Ray Robb - No. 41 A.J. Foyt Enterprises Chevrolet
29 Colton Herta - No. 26 Andretti Global with Curb-Agajanian Honda
30 Ryan Hunter-Reay - No. 23 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Chevrolet
31 Christian Rasmussen - No. 33 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet
32 Graham Rahal - No. 15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
33 Helio Castroneves - No. 06 Meyer Shank Racing Honda
34 Alexander Rossi - No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
