Ex-F1 driver Grosjean claims maiden IndyCar pole in third race

The former Haas driver - who has switched to IndyCar with Dale Coyne Racing for the 2021 season having recovered from the injuries he sustained in his fiery crash at the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix - headed the field at the Indianapolis road course.

Having made the ‘Fast Six’ shootout for the first time, Grosjean posted a 1m09.439s to outpace Team Penske’s two-time champion Josef Newgarden to his first-ever IndyCar pole by 0.126s.

It marks the 34-year-old Frenchman’s first pole since the first round of the 2011 GP2 season at Istanbul Park.

That feeling... MERCI!!! #indycar @IndyCar @DaleCoyneRacing @RickWareRacing @IMS pic.twitter.com/AM3O1Eawqe

— Romain Grosjean (@RGrosjean) May 14, 2021

Briton’s Jack Harvey was third-fastest for Meyer Shank Racing, ahead of Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou, IndyCar rookie Scott McLaughlin and Conor Daly, who was sixth in his Ed Carpenter Racing machine.

Rinus Veekay, Colton Herta, Ed Jones and Simon Pagenaud completed the rest of the top-10 order.

Earlier on Friday, Mercedes confirmed that Grosjean’s farewell F1 test will still go ahead next month despite the French Grand Prix being brought forward following the postponement of the Turkish Grand Prix.

While Grosjean’s planned demo run at Paul Ricard has been cancelled, he will drive a Mercedes W10 during a full test day at the home of the French GP on 29 June.