Rookie Shwartzman Pulls Upset, Storms to Indy 500 Pole

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief

Robert Shwartzman did the unthinkable and claimed pole for the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500.

The 25-year-old from Israel rolled off for four crisp laps in the Fast Six at 232.790mph to shock the field and become the first rookie to win pole for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” since Teo Fabi in 1983. Tony Stewart qualified second in 1996 as a rookie but started from the pole after his teammate Scott Brayton suffered fatal injuries in a post-qualifying practice crash. Shwartzman will be the sixth rookie in the history of the historic race to start from the pole.

The outing is also a celebration for PREMA Racing as the “500” marks the organizations – and Shwartzman’s – oval debut.

Shwartzman will share the front row with two-time Indy500 winner Takuma Sato, who qualified second after nailing four respectable laps of his own at 232.478mph in a backup car for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward, who has finished runner-up in the Indy 500 two of the previous three years, is set to roll off third.

“I can’t believe it,” Shwartzman told IndyCar on FOX. “I was closing my eyes like this is a dream, it can’t be true. Honestly, I don’t know what to say. The car felt amazing, like honestly, I can’t thank Prema and Chevy (enough). They did such a good job. It’s unbelievable. Coming here for my first oval race, I would never expect myself to be in this position. It’s unbelievable. Big thanks to everybody.”

Robert Shwartzman! What a run by the rookie. #Indy500 pic.twitter.com/WY1hysycns

— INDYCAR on FOX (@IndyCarOnFOX) May 18, 2025

Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon, the 2008 Indy 500 winner, will start fourth, alongside Meyer Shank Racing’s Felix Rosenqvist in fifth and fellow CGR teammate Alex Palou in sixth.

Sato was the first to go out of the six participants and held provisional pole until Shwartzman went out. Shwartzman was left to wait out the likes of O’Ward and Rosenqvist before claiming the top spot.

Although the Fast 12 was supposed to be about 12 drivers fighting for the right to advance into the Fast Six and fight for pole, it turned out to be a battle among nine after Team Penske’s run of issues. Scott McLaughlin’s crash in practice ahead of the qualifying left the team scrambling to prepare a backup car and unable to compete, while pre-qualifying technical violations – involving the attenuator – were found on the machines of Will Power and back-to-back defending race winner Josef Newgarden.

All three Team Penske drivers will start in Row 4, a significant drop from last year when they swept the front row.

Among the others that failed to advance, the group was led by AJ Foyt Racing’s David Malukas, who will start seventh. Arrow McLaren’s Christian Lundgaard ended up eighth, ahead of Andretti Global’s Marcus Ericsson in ninth.

McLaughlin will start 10th, Power 11th, and Newgarden 12th.