Felix will start the 105th Indianapolis 500 from 14th on the grid, having recorded a four-lap average of 230.744 mph (371 km/h) in qualifying on Saturday.
Opting for two attempts, Felix improved the pace on his second run to secure a slot on row five ahead of the race next Sunday. He will line up one slot ahead of defending Indy 500 winner Takuma Sato.
The other Arrow McLaren SP cars qualified 12th (Pato O’Ward) and 24th (Juan Pablo Montoya) respectively for The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.
“That was an interesting day and it’s good to have locked ourselves firmly into the race in a decent position,” says Felix. “I was actually surprised by how good the car felt on the first run; it was very easy to do the four laps, so we were running too much downforce. It was a shame we didn’t take more of a chance there, as I think that was the best window of the day in terms of weather when the track was still relatively cool.
“We ventured out for a second run later in the afternoon when the temperatures were significantly higher, and to be honest I wasn’t sure whether we’d be able to improve. We managed to do a fairly good step, however, trimming out the car more, and I think with that set-up on the first run we could possibly have made the Fast Nine. Anyway, a day of good progression for us and I’m confident we can have a strong race from P14.”
The 2021 Indy 500 takes place on Sunday, 30 May.
RESULTS: Qualifying – Indy 500
