Overview
- Palou secured pole for the XPEL Grand Prix with a flying lap of 1:43.6615, marking his fifth consecutive NTT P1 Award and his sixth pole of the season.
- David Malukas qualified second, Marcus Armstrong third and Felix Rosenqvist fourth to complete the Firestone Fast Six behind Palou.
- Teams reported uncertainty over tire choice after practice and qualifying showed the Firestone alternate improving in cooler conditions, which could change stint lengths and pit strategy on race day.
- Saturday's qualifying featured on-track drama, including a near-miss when Romain Grosjean exited the pits in the path of Will Power and a morning practice part failure that Rosenqvist said he repaired before qualifying.
- Palou entered the weekend as the series points leader and his extended qualifying run reinforces his championship momentum while giving rivals a clearer target for race tactics.