IndyCar Barber starting lineup: Romain Grosjean on pole position for Andretti

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Romain Grosjean will take another turn to lead the NTT IndyCar Series starting lineup for Andretti Autosport, winning the pole position at Barber Motorsports Park.

The former Formula 1 driver and Swiss-born Frenchman is trying to duplicate teammate Kyle Kirkwood’s pole-to-win performance after claiming the pole position for Sunday’s IndyCar race.

Grosjean emerged with his third pole and second of the season on Saturday after some of the biggest names failed to make it to the final round, including points leader and reigning Indianapolis 500 winner Marcus Ericsson, three-time champion Josef Newgarden and two-time winner Will Power.

QUALIFYING RESULTS: Click here for Barber qualifying speeds | Round 1, Group 1 | Round 1, Group 2 | Round 2 l Round 3

PRIMARY OR ALTERNATE: Tire designations for the starting lineup

Grosjean, who finished second to Kirkwood at Long Beach, won the pole for the opener at St. Petersburg but finished 18th after colliding with Scott McLaughlin. Now, he’ll look for his first IndyCar win on the physically challenging permanent road course.

If the 37-year-old is in a better mood at the track these days than 2022, it’s no surprise.

“I’m enjoying myself in the car, which last year was not the case,” said Grosjean, whose contract runs through this year. “Last year, I joined the team to try win races and poles and then win the championship. I was struggling with balance.

INDYCAR AT BARBER: How to watch, schedules, start times for the race weekend

“I just couldn’t get (the car) to do what I wanted. That plays a big role in your personality.”

Grosjean produced a fast lap of 1 minute, 5.8396 seconds.

Hondas make up the front row. Alex Palou, who won at Barber in 2021 on his way to a series