Championship leader Alex Palou wins pole position for the IndyCar Series race at WeatherTech Raceway at Laguna Seca, his fifth pole of the season. Pato O’Ward — second in the points but not all that close to Palou — also starts on the front row for the Java House Grand Prix of Monterey, a 95-lap race on an 11-turn, 2.238-mile layout.
Palou won from pole position in 2024, with Colton Herta and Alexander Rossi completing the podium. Palou has won seven races in 2025, Kyle Kirkwood three, O’Ward two and Scott Dixon one. Palou is 99 points clear of second-place O’Ward with four races to go.
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IndyCar qualifying, starting grid for Java House Grand Prix of Monterey at Laguna Seca
Row 1
1, Alex Palou
2, Pato O’Ward
Row 2
3, Colton Herta
4, Josef Newgarden
Row 3
5, Will Power
6, David Malukas
Row 4
7, Will Power
8, Christian Lundgaard
Row 5
9, Graham Rahal
10, Louis Foster
Row 6
11, Marcus Armstrong
12, Christian Rasmussen
Row 7
13, Scott McLaughlin
14, Kyffin Simpson
Row 8
15, Marcus Ericsson
16, Nolan Siegel
Row 9
17, Rinus Veekay
18, Kyle Kirkwood
Row 10
19, Scott Dixon
20, Santino Ferrucci
Row 11
21, Jacob Abel
22, Alexander Rossi
Row 12
23, Conor Daly
24, Callum Ilott
Row 13
25, Robert Shwartzman
26, Sting Ray Robb
Row 14
27, Devlin DeFrancesco
IndyCar expert picks, predictions for Java House Grand Prix of Monterey at Laguna Seca from IndyStar’s Nathan Brown
As much as I’d love for the championship fight to get tighter, Palou has exceled here. He didn’t run away and hide a year ago, but he was clearly the best car from the jump. This year, Palou has won four of the five natural-terrain road-course races — and in the one he didn’t (Mid-Ohio), his small silly mistake cost him the win. We haven’t gotten a true Alex Palou beatdown of a weekend since the spring, and it feels like we’re due.
I certainly don’t expect a win. I think there’s an off-chance we get a podium from either Scott McLaughlin or Will Power. I still think we could get a Penske win before the season ends, but not here. Chip Ganassi Racing has won each of the last three trips to the track, and if I’m making predictions, there’s no reason to expect that to change unless something odd happens.
Foster has had a better track record both in qualifying performance and consistency, so in a tie with four races to go, I’ll give a slight edge to the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing rookie, although I think this very much could be alive until the finale — at an oval, where Prema has gotten the bulk of their strong results this year.
IndyCar Series schedule for Java House Grand Prix of Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway at Laguna Seca
(All times ET; all IndyCar sessions are on IndyCar Live, IndyCar Radio and Sirius XM Channel 218)
IndyCar Series schedule for Java House Grand Prix of Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway at Laguna Seca on Sunday, July 27
Noon: IndyCar warmup, FS2
3 p.m.: IndyCar race, Fox
What channel is the IndyCar race at WeatherTech Raceway at Laguna Seca on?
TV: Coverage begins at 3 p.m. ET, Sunday, July 27, 2025, on Fox. Green flag is scheduled for 3:22 p.m. Will Buxton is the play-by-play voice, with analysts James Hinchcliffe and Townsend Bell. Kevin Lee and Jack Harvey are the pit reporters.
Where to stream the IndyCar race at WeatherTech Raceway at Laguna Seca? Streaming IndyCar race at Laguna Seca
FoxSports.com, Fox Sports app.
Watch free with a Fubo trial
How to listen to IndyCar race at WeatherTech Raceway at Laguna Seca
IndyCar Nation is on SiriusXM Channel 218, IndyCar Live and the IndyCar Radio Network (check affiliates for each race)
What is the IndyCar race weather forecast at WeatherTech Raceway at Laguna Seca?
Sunday: Partly cloudy skies and highs in the 60s.
IndyCar drivers for 2025
(Team and drivers; *-Indianapolis 500 only)
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IndyCar Java House Grand Prix at WeatherTech Raceway at Laguna Seca qualifying, starting lineup, time
Reporting by Scott Horner, Evan Frank and Nathan Brown, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
