Felix Rosenqvist hopes Lengthy Seashore pole kickstarts IndyCar season turnaround

There was a glance of aid on the face of Felix Rosenqvist after snatching pole place for the Acura Grand Prix of Lengthy Seashore.

Sitting 14th within the championship standings with zero prime 10 finishes via the opening 4 rounds of the 2026 IndyCar season, there was a way of urgency for the 34-year-old Swedish driver to easily discover a strategy to get a breakthrough and assist enhance the arrogance for each he and Meyer Shank Racing. He did simply that with an inch-perfect flying lap of 1m07.4635s on the 11-turn, 1.968-mile momentary road circuit, which was adequate to dethrone reigning and four-time sequence champion Alex Palou, and fend off a problem by shut buddy Pato O’Ward.

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“It was precisely what we had been in search of,” mentioned Rosenqvist, driver of MSR’s #60 Honda. “I believe once you’re struggling, it would not come simple, prefer it’s type of between the races the place you discover the issues. You present up and hopefully it is higher. We had been fast from the get-go right here.

“I really feel like the arrogance you get from one thing like this, it is clearly enormous not just for me however everybody within the staff after having a little bit of a drought, when it comes to outcomes.

“Yeah, tremendous proud of it.”

It was the seventh pole of Rosenqvist’s profession and second-ever for MSR, along with his 2024 Lengthy Seashore pole standing because the staff’s first.

One of many distinctive challenges the sphere confronted this time round was an up to date model of the single-car, single-lap Quick Six qualifying format for road circuits. Not like Arlington the place the format debuted, the brand new tweak allowed the quickest driver from Section 2 to decide on when to make their pole-trying run, with the next selections made for the remaining positions primarily based on Section 2 outcomes. Moreover, every staff was required to make tire alternative earlier than attending to their place in line.

Rosenqvist went out third for his Quick Six run and was left watching the drama unfold with uncertainty if he had finished sufficient to safe the highest spot.

Felix Rosenqvist – Acura Grand Prix of Lengthy Seashore. Picture: Travis Hinkle

Picture by: Penske Leisure

“We really did not change something throughout qualifying,” he mentioned. “We did numerous adjustments going into it.

“The primary run we had an actual good run. We type of nailed our tire prep. Then we simply targeted on executing what I might do within the automobile, type of improved and improved. Yeah, it was fairly dialed in. Felt assured.

“I like the one-lap shootout. After they introduced it, I used to be like I actually need to be a part of that as a result of I believe it is such a cool factor once you’re doing the one-lap sprint. Watching it was nerve-wracking. That was most likely the worst a part of it.”

The outing by Rosenqvist elevated an already stellar day for MSR, which noticed its Acura-supported program convert its pole right into a victory (with Nick Yelloly and Renger van der Zande) in Saturday afternoon’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship 100-minute dash race at Lengthy Seashore.

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“Superb day for us at Meyer Shank Racing,” Rosenqvist mentioned. “They bought the pole yesterday in IMSA and the win at present on the #93 automobile. Large congrats. We’re rocking the Inexperienced Day Acura livery. Large day for Acura. Tremendous comfortable to be right here.

“It is superb how I went into this weekend (and) we mentioned we wanted somewhat turnaround, type of flip the yr round somewhat bit as a result of we have not been fast. Definitely labored properly. Higher than I dare anticipated.”

And Rosenqvist, whose lone profession win got here at Street America in 2020 (Race 2), has a main spot to assist in giving MSR a clear sweep of the weekend.

“Full give attention to the race now,” he siad. “Strive to soak up the second somewhat bit, simply push ahead.”

Images from Lengthy Seashore – Saturday

Marcus Ericsson, Andretti Global