DETROIT -- What had been his best start to an IndyCar season in several years took a turn for the worst last Sunday, when Colton Herta's No. 26 Honda got away from the 24-year-old while cruising through Turn 1 running 2nd-place near the halfway point of the Indianapolis 500. By Friday, Andretti Global personnel had yet to understand why the rear suddenly snapped and left Herta spinning toward the wall.

Though the No. 26 crew managed to get the car repaired and Herta on-track to salvage a 23rd-place finish, the driver who entered May sitting first in the championship race would eventually drift back to 5th as the series visits the streets of Detroit for Sunday's Grand Prix. With points-leader and defending Detroit race-winner Alex Palou qualifying 2nd on the outside of the front row, Herta did his best to try and keep pace by clinching his first pole in 11 months Saturday afternoon.

"There was a lot on my mind after the Indy 500, so it's good to just get here and get a race weekend underway," said Herta after edging Palou by 0.152 seconds in the Fast Six (1:00.5475 vs. 1:00.6995). "That's the best way to get over it. I'm really happy for the team. This is an extremely difficult place to drive for qualifying, but when you hook up a lot, it feels really nice inside the cockpit."

Herta clinched pole following a late red flag in the Fast 6 when Andretti Global teammate Kyle Kirkwood ventured into the Turn 3 runoff and stalled with 43 seconds to go. To close the session, the remaining cars were allowed one final flying lap, but none were able to surpass Herta's mark. In the wake of his new multi-year contract extension announced Saturday afternoon after qualifying -- along with his back-to-back Indy 500 wins -- Josef Newgarden will share the second row Sunday with Team Penske teammate Scott McLaughlin (4th). Scott Dixon (5th and Kirkwood (6th) follow on Row 3.

New deal: Days after 2nd 500 win, Newgarden, Team Penske announce multi-year contract

Further back, IndyCar rookie Theo Porchaire starts highest among the Arrow McLaren trio in 7th, after Pato O'Ward started the Fast 12 with a brake fire and then stalled in a runoff with just under four minutes remaining. He was stripped of his two fastest laps and disallowed from advancing and will start 12th. Alexander Rossi failed to advance out of Round 1 and will start Sunday 17th.

Will Power was left in a screaming rage after not advancing to the Fast 6 during a year in which he's started 2nd or 3rd in four of five previous races and finished runner-up three times still without a win. He'll start 8th, one spot ahead of Marcus Ericsson's recovery drive to 9th after a crash during Friday afternoon practice. Following a fiery and controversial morning on and off-track (more on that in a second), Santino Ferrucci will start 10th.

Ferrucci apologizes for inappropriate comments, no action from IndyCar

For his role in a Saturday morning dustup on and off-track with Andretti Global teammates Herta and Kirkwood -- comments for which drew the ire of the series -- Ferrucci has since offered up an apology following his qualifying efforts on the Peacock broadcast.

"I just want to say I'm sorry for what was said and how I acted to Kyle and Colton. They're great competitors. I was a little hot out of the car, but I love racing against them. It's good now," Ferrucci said.

During Practice No. 2, both Andretti drivers found themselves battling for track position with Ferrucci in the types of situations where drivers on both sides were left blaming the other. When Kirkwood came to confront Ferrucci in his pit box, the A.J. Foyt Racing driver leapt over the pit wall and shoved him away. Afterwards, all three drivers aired their sides of the story on the Peacock broadcast, during which Ferrucci referred to the Andretti pair as "boyfriend teammates" -- a remark chided online for its homophobic sentiments, on Day 1 of Pride Month, no less.

In the leadup to qualifying later in the day, IndyCar officials said Ferrucci's comments were under review. After his public apology on the Peacock broadcast, the series said no action would be taken.

"IndyCar officials spoke with Santino after track action today and expressed IndyCar's displeasure with his comments," a statement from an IndyCar official read. "He was very apologetic and recognized his remarks reflected poor judgement."

Getting physical: Ferrucci shoves Kirkwood after on-track practice incident

After his pole-winning qualifying effort, Herta was asked if he'd had any further interaction with Ferrucci, to which he responded suscinctly:

"I don't have a problem with anybody at Foyt except for one person," Herta said. "Everybody else there is lovely besides one person."

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colton Herta snags Detroit pole after practice dustup with Ferrucci