Alex Palou Crashes During Qualifying at Markham, Starts 11th

Alex Palou, the reigning IndyCar champion, crashed during qualifying for the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham on Saturday, resulting in a rare mistake that left him starting 11th on the grid.

The incident occurred in the second segment of qualifying on the new 12-turn, 2.19-mile street circuit. Palou had set the fastest lap of the session at 1m13.8s but lost control of his Chip Ganassi Racing Honda and hit the wall in Turn 10, damaging the car before spinning into the runoff area. The crash led to a red flag, costing him his two fastest laps.

Despite the setback, Palou will start 11th due to a grid penalty for Alexander Rossi. This marks Palou's first start outside the top 10 since the 2024 season finale. He expressed confidence in his car's speed, indicating that he aims to recover positions during the race while focusing on avoiding further mistakes.