Felix Rosenqvist heads to Laguna Seca this weekend for round eight of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, hoping to repeat the sort of performance that handed him pole position at the Californian track last year.
The Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey, as this weekend’s race is formally titled, moves to a June slot this year having staged the series’ September finale in recent seasons.
Rosenqvist produced a storming lap in qualifying at Laguna Seca last year to snatch pole position, and ran in podium contention in the early parts of the race. Contact from a rival driver ultimately ended all hopes of a strong finish, but Rosenqvist clearly enjoys the undulating road course that features the iconic Corkscrew downhill section.
Eager to build on some early-season form with his new squad Meyer Shank Racing, Rosenqvist is hoping to be on frontrunning pace once again.
“Laguna Seca is a fantastic circuit, really challenging with a lot of high-commitment, high-speed corners,” says Felix Rosenqvist. “I have always loved driving there. Given how last year’s race ended after taking the pole, I do feel I have some unfinished business. Track position is usually critical at Laguna, so the first aim will be to qualify up front. Then, we’ll see what we can do in the race.
“It’s hard to say how the race moving from September to June will affect things. The track was resurfaced last year and the grip was massively improved. It will be really interesting to see what another nine months has done to that surface, and how it will combine with the new calendar slot to potentially shake things up.”
Opening practice for the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey takes place on Friday. Qualifying is slated for Saturday afternoon, with the 95-lap race scheduled to go green on Sunday at 3:15 pm local time (U.S. Pacific).
TIME TABLE
All times local (U.S. Pacific)
NTT INDYCAR SERIES | Rd. 8
Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey
Laguna Seca (USA)
Friday June 21
Practice 1: 2:00-3:15 pm
Saturday June 22
Practice 2: 10:00-11:00 am
Qualifying: 2:15-3:45 pm
Sunday June 23
Warm-up: 12:00-12:30 pm
Race (95 laps): 3:15 pm
TIMING: INDYCAR App / racecontrol.indycar.com
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TRACK DATA: view here
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS: view here