Felix Rosenqvist has opened the 2025 motor racing season with a podium finish in one of the world’s greatest sportscar races, coming home a close second in the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
Forming a star-studded driver line-up alongside previous Daytona winners Scott Dixon, Tom Blomqvist and Colin Braun, Rosenqvist and his team-mates played a headlining role aboard their #60 Acura Meyer Shank Racing ARX-06 in the top-tier GTP prototype class throughout the Florida endurance classic.
As the race drew to its conclusion, the team featured in a tense battle for victory, chasing down the leaders over the closing laps in a grandstand finish. It was ultimately enough for second place; last-stinter Blomqvist incredibly finishing just 1.3 seconds behind the winning #7 Porsche Penske Motorsport entry after 24 hours and 781 laps around Daytona International Speedway.
Only three cars remained on the lead lap as the chequered flag fell: both factory Porsches (#7 and #6) and Acura Meyer Shank Racing’s #60.
“A podium in my first-ever race in GTP and in this car, and it’s obviously a great result,” says Felix Rosenqvist. “It always hurts to lose a victory with such a small margin, but at the end of the day we did a really good race and we’re happy.
“At certain points it didn’t look like something like this was possible – for example when I went off on cold tyres on an out-lap and tagged the wall – but we crucially managed to stay on the lead lap and then Tom (Blomqvist) did a sensational last stint.”
The outcome in Daytona marks Rosenqvist’s biggest success in sportscar racing to date. It ties the best-ever finish for a Swedish driver in the history of the event, staged for the 63rd time this year, and makes Rosenqvist the first Swede to grace the Rolex 24 at Daytona podium since Stefan Johansson in 1999.
“It’s incredible how intense these races are. Very demanding,” Felix Rosenqvist concludes. “Big thanks to Meyer Shank Racing, Acura, my fantastic team-mates and everyone who made it possible for us to come here and race for the win. It’s a great start to the season for all of us.”
Felix Rosenqvist now shifts his attention towards the imminent NTT INDYCAR SERIES campaign, which begins with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in Florida on March 2.
RESULTS
63rd Rolex 24 at Daytona
Daytona International Speedway (USA)
1: Porsche Penske Motorsport #7, 781 laps
L.Vanthoor/N.Tandy/F.Nasr
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2: Acura Meyer Shank Racing #60, +1.335s
F.Rosenqvist/S.Dixon/C.Braun/T.Blomqvist
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3: Porsche Penske Motorsport #6, +4.423s
K.Estre/M.Campbell/M.Jaminet
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4: BMW M Team RLL #24, +1 lap
K.Magnussen/R.Marciello/D.Vanthoor/P.Eng
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5: Cadillac WTR #10, +1 lap
B.Hartley/W.Stevens/F.Albuquerque/R.Taylor
