INDIANAPOLIS – Matheus Leist has shown his speed all season as a newcomer to the Verizon IndyCar Series. Now he has some hardware to show for it.

Leist was honored on Tuesday as the fastest rookie qualifier for the 102nd Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil at the American Dairy Association’s 44th annual Fastest Rookie Luncheon. The event was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Plaza Pavilion.

The 19-year-old Brazilian dazzled in final qualifying on Sunday with his 11th-place effort in the No. 4 ABC Supply AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet. With four crisp laps with at an average of 227.571 mph around the 2.5-mile superspeedway, he outpaced fellow rookies Zachary Claman De Melo (13th), Kyle Kaiser (17th) and Robert Wickens (18th).

“It was a tough run,” Leist said. “So much different conditions from the (morning) practice. The track was pretty different, the setup of the car was pretty different. The feeling was a bit weird because I never had that much front grip so far this May. So it was a tough car to drive, but I’m so happy for the whole team.

“The team did an awesome job here and we’re looking good for the 500 now.”

The 2016 BRDC British Formula 3 champion, Leist came to the United States to compete last season in Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires – the top step of the Mazda Road to Indy development ladder sanctioned by INDYCAR. It was there that he burst onto the scene with three wins, including the Freedom 100 last May on the IMS oval. The experience of driving the Dallara IL-15 in Indy Lights helped speed up Leist’s the learning curve with universal aero kit on all Verizon IndyCar Series entries this year.

“It prepared me really well,” Leist said. “The Freedom 100 was a nice race. Of course, I won my first Indy Lights race here. The car is not that much different than the Indy car to drive. Of course, the Indy car is much faster, but still the same feeling driving the car, so it prepared me very well for this challenge now.”

Leist also benefits from having a teammate the likes of Tony Kanaan, the 2004 Verizon IndyCar Series champion and 2013 Indianapolis 500 winner. The 21st-year driver has been instrumental in Leist’s development this season. Kanaan has been impressed with his countryman’s growth since the start of the season.

“I remember when I was 19 and I was really dumb,” Kanaan said. “I wasn’t that smart. I don’t think I would be doing as good as he is right now. He’s a very smart kid. He listens a lot, he knows what he wants. I’m proud of him. I’m really proud of him.

“I think we have a future in our team. I’m not at the beginning of my career, so A.J. (Foyt, team owner) can have some continuity once I decide not to do this anymore and that makes me really proud.”

Kanaan, a 17-time Indy car race winner, is known for being a prankster around the paddock, but has reined in any antics until Leist gets more acclimated to the job. The probationary period may be about to end, however.

“He will get it eventually,” said Kanaan, who will start Sunday’s Indy 500 on the inside of his teammate in Row 4. “Now that he’s fastest rookie, we might have a little surprise for him this week. Then I’ll take it easy until race day. Then after that, he’ll get some pranks this year, for sure.”

Pranks or not, Kanaan will pass along some of the wisdom he’s gained in 16 previous Indianapolis 500 starts to the newbie before race day.

“I just told him to keep it calm, which is hard,” said Kanaan, driver of the No. 14 ABC Supply Chevrolet. “I still get nervous. There’s nothing I can say or do that’s going to make him be like, ‘I’m really relaxed.’ It’s his first Indy 500. He has all the rights to be nervous.

“I just told him he needs to walk with me down Gasoline Alley on race day because I just want to see his face when he sees 400,000 people, which is going to be a lot different.”

A single one-hour practice remains for the 33 Indy 500 drivers, coming at 11 a.m. ET Friday on Miller Lite Carb Day (live on NBCSN). The 102nd running of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” airs live at 11 a.m. Sunday on ABC and the Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network.