IndyCar Detroit Grand Prix Predictions, Winner, Podium Pick for Sunday

The Detroit Grand Prix takes place on the streets of the Motor City on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. ET on FOX. The second practice took place as scheduled on Saturday morning, and qualifying occurred early in the afternoon. 

Race predictions and picks reflect some chaos, given the quick turnaround from Indy to Detroit. The cream rose to the top in the final moments, as Saturday allowed the drivers to battle across all sectors of the 1.645-mile course. 

Will Sunday be more of the same? Let's race into some IndyCar Detroit Grand Prix predictions, including analysis on a winner and podium pick for the afternoon.

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IndyCar Detroit Grand Prix Predictions and Picks Set Up by Qualifying

Alex Palou was fastest in Friday's practice session and was fastest again on Saturday when it counted. Palou held off Will Power as the IndyCar points leader took his third straight pole in May. 

Contact was the word of the day, as two drivers crashed into Turn 7 and several others nearly met the same fate. Kyle Kirkwood had a few slides and ended up sixth in the Firestone Fast Six. Palou’s 61.902 seconds was almost 1.5 seconds slower than last year’s pole run by Colton Herta (60.447 seconds).

Below is the running order for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix. This might help in making those IndyCar predictions. Do keep in mind that Sunday afternoon will feature dry and slightly warmer conditions.

2026 Detroit Grand Prix Running Order

Row 1: Alex Palou / Will Power 

Row 2: Scott McLaughlin / Scott Dixon

Row 3: Christian Lundgaard / Kyle Kirkwood

Row 4: Pato O’Ward / Marcus Armstrong

Row 5: Christian Rasmussen / Marcus Ericsson

Row 6: Louis Foster / Graham Rahal 

Row 7: Nolan Siegel / Alexander Rossi

Row 8: Dennis Hauger / Felix Rosenqvist

Palou and Kirkwood were fastest in Practice 1. However, Will Power and Marcus Armstrong weren't too far behind. Practice 2 saw Kirkwood and Power thrive, with Armstrong lurking again. 

2026 IndyCar Detroit Grand Prix Winner Payouts on PrizePicks

Palou opened as the favorite to win the 2026 Detroit Grand Prix. Below is a complete breakdown of the payouts to win the race on Sunday.

Payouts equal cash earnings if an IndyCar Detroit GP pick is the right one. For example, 2x on a $100 entry would pay out $200 on PrizePicks Team Picks.“Yes” payouts represent if the driver wins; “No” payouts indicate if they do not win.

Team Picks data is live as of writing and is subject to change. 

• Alex Palou – Yes 2.7x | No 1.4x‍
• Kyle Kirkwood – Yes 3.7x | No 1.12x‍
• Will Power – Yes 5.88x | No 1.04x‍
• Christian Lundgaard – Yes 8.33x | No 1.01x‍
• Scott McLaughlin – Yes 9.09x | No 1.01x‍
• Pato O’Ward – Yes 10x ‍| No 1.01x
• Scott Dixon – Yes 11.11x
• Marcus Armstrong – Yes 16.66x

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2026 IndyCar Detroit Grand Prix Podium Picks, Payouts

Below are the 2026 IndyCar Detroit Grand Prix podium finisher payouts for Sunday’s IndyCar race, starring the initial trifecta of Palou, Power, and McLaughlin. 

• Alex Palou– Yes 1.42x | No 1.69x‍
• Kyle Kirkwood – Yes 1.47x | No 1.61x‍
• Will Power – Yes 1.69x | No 1.49x‍
• Scott McLaughlin– Yes 2.27x | No 1.11x‍
• Christian Lundgaard – Yes 2.85x | No 1.11x‍
• Pato O’Ward – Yes 2.85x | No 1.11x‍
• Marcus Ericsson – Yes 3.44x | No 1.05x‍
• Scott Dixon – Yes 3.84x‍ | No 1.07x
• David Malukas – Yes 5x‍ | No 1.02x
• Marcus Armstrong – Yes 5.55x | No 1.06x

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IndyCar Detroit Grand Prix Predictions, Driver Picks

Let's head straight into some of the top Detroit Grand Prix driver picks, headlined by some big names. 

Kyle Kirkwood – 2.5 Finishing Position

Kyle Kirkwood Winner at Detroit Grand Prix: Yes 3.7x | No 1.12x

• Kirkwood won last year and was the fastest in Practice 2 on Saturday.
• He's perceived by the market to be in good position to be competitive and even finish in a podium spot (Yes: 1.69x | No: 1.44x).
• Milder conditions proved valuable to the Andretti Global car, as Kirkwood led 48 laps.

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Pato O’Ward – 5.5 Finishing Position

Pato O’Ward Winner at Detroit Grand Prix: Yes 10x | No 1.01x

• O’Ward was the fastest McLaren in both practice sessions (fifth and third). 
• The McLaren driver won the second race at Detroit in 2021 and has late-race speed on street courses.
• Given milder conditions and starting seventh, O’Ward’s ability to overtake in Detroit is noticed (+5 in 2024, +11 in 2025). 

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Marcus Armstrong – 7.5 Finishing Position

Marcus Armstrong Top 3 at Detroit Grand Prix: Yes 5.55x | No 1.06x

• Armstrong showed solid pace in both practice sessions (fourth and 12th)
• He qualified eighth for Sunday’s race, just missing out on the Firestone Fast Six.
• The Meyer-Shank Racing car is one to watch late in runs, as was seen in last week’s Indy 500. Armstrong to win rolls in at "Yes" returning a 16.66x payout.
• Finished sixth at last year’s Detroit race (started 11th) and third in 2024.

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Make 2026 IndyCar Detroit Grand Prix Picks on PrizePicks

If recent Detroit Grand Prix results are any indication, the 2026 race may be one of the more wide-open for picks on the IndyCar calendar. 

Factoring in the short turnaround from Indianapolis, nothing may be out of the realm of possibility. The track's volatility is punctuated by six different winners over the past six races in the Motor City.

Turn 7 will be one to watch, as it's the toughest on the 9-turn Detroit course. While the 0.7-mile straightaway gets the most eyes, the technical parts of the track are where the race is typically won or lost. 

Get those IndyCar Chevrolet Detroit GP predictions in on PrizePicks Team Picks before Sunday's 12:30 p.m. ET race start — and check out our expanding IndyCar predictions home for winner picks across every race this season and more.