Overview
- Foster posted a 1:13.2383 lap in qualifying to win pole for the inaugural Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham and set the new 12-turn street circuit record.
- Christian Lundgaard qualified second and Scott McLaughlin third, while high-profile drivers Josef Newgarden, Alex Palou, Will Power and Caio Collet were left well down the order after crashes, a spin, and a hybrid stoppage.
- Several drivers face six-place grid penalties for excess engine changes, which will alter starting positions for Alexander Rossi, Christian Rasmussen, Marcus Armstrong, Will Power, Kyle Kirkwood and Pato O’Ward.
- Foster will start with an extra set of Firestone Firehawk alternate tyres, a likely strategic edge for what is expected to be a two-stop, 90-lap race that begins Sunday at noon ET on Fox.
- Event operations drew scrutiny after promoter-related safety work ran late and required overnight certification, compressing the on-track schedule and raising questions about how the tight timetable affected practice and qualifying.