Felix Rosenqvist is looking for a quick rebound this weekend as the NTT INDYCAR SERIES returns to its spiritual home for the first of two May races at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Rosenqvist endured his first hiccup of an otherwise encouraging season in last Sunday’s Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix, finishing 13th – but is determined to recoup the kind of form that netted him top five results in each of the preceding two races.
Odds appear favourable too for a speedy recovery, as Rosenqvist heads next to a track where he has already scored two pole positions in the past.
Commencing the action-packed Month of May at IMS is this week’s Sonsio Grand Prix, staged at the track’s infield road course. The 2.439-mile layout gave Rosenqvist his first-career INDYCAR pole back in his debut season of 2019, followed by another NTT P1 Award in qualifying in 2022.
It was also the site of a spectacular fightback drive last year as Rosenqvist lived through a rollercoaster ride after a first-corner melee. Shoved off the track at the start, the Swede dropped to 27th and last on the opening lap, but then produced a storming recovery over the rest of the 85-lap race to finish tenth.
Unsurprisingly, the Meyer Shank Racing Swede is hoping to unleash more of that same pace this time around.
“I’ve always had good pace at the IMS road course, and it’s a track I enjoy to drive,” says Felix Rosenqvist. “The Sonsio GP kind of sets the mood for the rest of the month, so it’s quite an important race mentally – even though it’s a very different track to the oval we race on next. We’re hungry to fight back after Barber and we had a fast car in the race here last year. I’m excited to be back in Indy for another Month of May!”
The Sonsio Grand Prix is a two-day event played out across Friday and Saturday. It marks the start of the high-octane Month of May at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, featuring 11 days of running in a 17-day period that culminates with the 109th Indianapolis 500 on May 25.
Adding spice to the up-coming weekend, revised tyre rules will be on trial for the Sonsio Grand Prix, mandating two stints each on the hard (prime) and soft (alternate) Firestones – twice the normal requirement.
Running begins on Friday with a pair of practice sessions and qualifying, followed by warm-up and the 85-lap race on Saturday.
TIME TABLE
All times local (U.S. Eastern)
NTT INDYCAR SERIES | Rd. 5
Sonsio Grand Prix
Indianapolis Motor Speedway – road course (USA)
Friday May 9
Practice 1: 9:30-10:50 am
Practice 2: 1:10-2:10 pm
Qualifying: 4:30-6:00 pm
Saturday May 10
Warm-up: 11:30 am-12:00 pm
Race (85 laps): 4:30 pm
TIMING: INDYCAR App / indycar.com
EVENT DATA: view here
HOW TO WATCH: view here
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS: view here