The cars, drivers and teams are still getting ready and are now in a time crunch, but the 2026 Indianapolis 500 field is set. Alex Palou will lead the 33-car field to green for The Greatest Spectacle in Racing on Sunday (12:30 p.m. ET on FOX).
Palou won the pole during qualifying this past Sunday, posting a four-lap average of 232.248 miles per hour at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He edged out Alexander Rossi and David Malukas, who will join him with a front-row starting position for the 110th Indy 500.
This is his second Indy 500 pole (2023), and he’s also the first defending Indy 500 champion to win the pole for the following year’s race since Hélio Castroneves did it in 2010.
But, as we’ve seen many times throughout past Indy 500s, no one is guaranteed anything, and a little luck is necessary to winning, along with a speedy car, of course.
Experience matters too, and there are nine previous Indy 500 winners in the field: Alex Palou (2025), Josef Newgarden (2023, 2024), Marcus Ericsson (2022), Hélio Castroneves (2001, 2002, 2009, 2021), Takuma Sato (2017, 2020), Will Power (2018), Alexander Rossi (2016), Ryan Hunter-Reay (2014) and Scott Dixon (2008).
Here’s a look at the full starting grid for the 2026 Indy 500 on Sunday on FOX.
Note: The qualifying runs for Caio Collet, who was 10th, and Jack Harvey, who was 29th, were disallowed after technical violations were found on their cars. They will start at the back of the field.
Row 1
Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing (Photo by Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
1. Alex Palou, No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda (232.248 mph)
2. Alexander Rossi, No. 20 ECR Chevrolet (231.990 mph)
3. David Malukas, No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet (231.877 mph)
Row 2
Felix Rosenqvist, Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb Agajanian (Photo by Brandon Badraoui/Lumen via Getty Images)
4. Felix Rosenqvist, No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda (231.375 mph)
5. Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 A.J. Foyt Racing Chevrolet (230.846 mph)
6. Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet (230.442 mph)
Row 3
Kyffin Simpson, Chip Ganassi Racing (Photo by Geoff Miller/Lumen via Getty Images)
7. Kyffin Simpson, No. 8 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda (230.883 mph)
8. Conor Daly, No. 23 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Chevrolet (230.712 mph)
9. Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet (230.577 mph)
Row 4
Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing (Photo by Geoff Miller/Lumen via Getty Images)
10. Scott Dixon, No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda (230.347 mph)
11. Rinus Veekay, No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet (229.585 mph)
12. Takuma Sato, No. 75 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda (230.995 mph)
Row 5
Ed Carpenter, Ed Carpenter Racing (Photo by Geoff Miller/Lumen via Getty Images)
13. Ed Carpenter, No. 33 ECR Chevrolet (230.829 mph)
14. Hélio Castroneves, No. 06 Meyer Shank Racing Honda (230.811 mph)
15. Christian Rasmussen, No. 21 ECR Chevrolet (230.705 mph)
Row 6
Marcus Armstrong, Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian (Photo by Geoff Miller/Lumen via Getty Images)
16. Marcus Armstrong, No. 66 Meyer Shank Racing Honda (230.701 mph)
17. Marcus Ericsson, No. 28 Andretti Global Honda (230.667 mph)
18. Christian Lundgaard, No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet (230.661 mph)
Row 7
Will Power, Andretti Global (Photo by Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
19. Will Power, No. 26 Andretti Global Honda (230.279 mph)
20. Nolan Siegel, No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet (230.213 mph)
21. Louis Foster, No. 45 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda (230.212 mph)
Row 8
Ryan Hunter-Reay, Arrow McLaren (Photo by Geoff Miller/Lumen via Getty Images)
22. Ryan Hunter-Reay, No. 31 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet (230.202 mph)
23. Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet (230.165 mph)
24. Romain Grosjean, No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing Honda (229.791 mph)
Row 9
Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Global (Photo by Geoff Miller/Lumen via Getty Images)
25. Kyle Kirkwood, No. 27 Andretti Global Honda (229.607 mph)
26. Katherine Legge, No. 11 HMD Motorsports w/ A.J. Foyt Racing Chevrolet (229.456 mph)
27. Mick Schumacher, No. 47 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda (229.450 mph)
Row 10
Graham Rahal, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (Photo by Geoff Miller/Lumen via Getty Images)
28. Graham Rahal, No. 15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda (229.017 mph)
29. Dennis Hauger, No. 19 Dale Coyne Racing Honda (228.982 mph)
30. Jacob Abel, No. 51 Abel Motorsports Chevrolet (228.169 mph)
Row 11
Sting Ray Robb, Juncos Hollinger Racing (Photo by Geoff Miller/Lumen via Getty Images)
31. Sting Ray Robb, No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet (226.572 mph)
32. Caio Collet, No. 4 A.J. Foyt Racing Chevrolet
33. Jack Harvey, No. 24 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Chevrolet
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