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Full Noise by SN
The Live Sport Bible is here!Scott McLaughlin flies during Indy Fast Friday practice
AP • May 16th, 2026 2:56 pm
Scott McLaughlin has sent a strong message to his rivals before Indianapolis 500 qualifying | Photo: AP
Felix Rosenqvist took advantage of the friendly, late afternoon weather conditions to reach the top of the Indianapolis 500 speed charts on Fast Friday.
Scott McLaughlin needed just seven laps in the middle of the afternoon to send his message on Indianapolis Motor Speedway's iconic 2.5-mile oval - Team Penske intends to reclaim the pole.
Rosenqvist posted the fastest lap of the day, 233.372 mph though it came with a tow, and the fastest four-lap average, 232.828 in the final practice before qualifying.
But it was McLaughlin who waited through the two-hour rain delay and two more hours of inactivity before turning heads with the fastest no-tow lap of the week, 232.674, and the second fastest four-lap average, 232.572.
New Zealand's Scott McLaughlin is hoping to claim pole position for Team Penske | Photo: AP
It sets up a potentially dramatic qualifying weekend between the New Zealander who won Indy's pole in 2024 and Rosenqvist, who will try to put Meyer Shank Racing on the front row.
"It was better than going upside down, that was the last time I was here on this boost level," former Supercars champion McLaughlin said after finishing his day with three hours of practice time still left.
"I think we got a really good test point for the team and we'll go back, scratch our heads a little bit more. But it's just going to get harder as the weekend goes on."
Swede Felix Rosenqvist poses a major threat to arch-rival Scott McLoughlin | Photo: AP
The only other driver with a faster lap than McLaughlin was Alexander Rossi with a 232.93. Rossi and McLaughlin both changed engines earlier this week because of mechanical problems.
Penske's cars were so dialled in that McLaughlin and his teammates - two-time Indy winner Josef Newgarden and David Malukas, last year's Indy runner-up - logged the fewest laps of any team after IndyCar officials gave each driver an additional boost of about 100 horsepower.
But most of the 33 drivers attempting to make the traditional starting grid for the May 24 race recognise things could change quickly Saturday.
Rain is in the forecast for the first four scheduled hours of qualifying. If it stays dry for the final three hours, the weather conditions could be quite similar to what they had Friday. Then it's expected to heat up substantially Sunday, causing even more changes.
"It's going to get hotter, a bit of rain coming in as well, so we've just got to make every run count," said McLaughlin, who got a boost by drawing the No.6 spot in the qualifying line - ahead of Rosenqvist at No.11, Rossi at No.20 and points leader Alex Palou at No.31.
"I felt like that was my best run of the weekend, so really happy to do that at that (increased) boost level."
