Felix Rosenqvist slipped from pole position to ninth in the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, nursing overheating brakes throughout the 85-lap street race.
After delivering a career sixth NTT INDYCAR SERIES pole on Saturday – the first ever for Meyer Shank Racing – Rosenqvist entered Sunday’s second round of the 2024 season looking to battle up front.
Those hopes were dashed in a particularly troublesome first stint, however, as the Swede suffered overheating rear brakes that caused him to gradually fall down the order.
Clinging on with persistent issues for the remainder of the race, Rosenqvist eventually took the chequered flag in ninth, backing up his P7 finish from the opening round in St. Petersburg to retain seventh place in the drivers’ standings.
“The opening stint is where we essentially lost the race today,” says Felix Rosenqvist. “The brakes were overheating quite heavily, so I was really off on my bias and had to chase it. We really lacked braking performance, which meant I kept getting passed in Turn 1, inside and outside. Without braking confidence, you can’t protect and you can’t go forward.
“Still, the team did well, two good pit stops, and we kept our heads cool – even though it sucked to go plummeting down the field. We are looking at the big picture and another top ten result for the team is still really great for us. Of course we would have liked to translate the pole into a win, but this is good momentum for everyone.”
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES is back on track next weekend (April 26-28) with the Alabama Indy Grand Prix at Barber Motorsports Park.
RESULTS
NTT INDYCAR SERIES | Rd. 2
Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach
Streets of Long Beach (USA)
1: Scott Dixon (NZL), Ganassi, 85 laps
2: Colton Herta (USA), Andretti, +0.979s
3: Alex Palou (ESP), Ganassi, +1.766s
4: Josef Newgarden (USA), Penske, +3.973s
5: Marcus Ericsson (SWE), Andretti, +4.376s
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9: Felix Rosenqvist (SWE), Meyer Shank Racing, +18.815s
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
NTT INDYCAR SERIES | After 2/17 races
1: Josef Newgarden (USA), Penske, 87 p.
2: Scott Dixon (NZL), Ganassi, 75 p.
3: Colton Herta (USA), Andretti, 72 p.
4: Alex Palou (ESP), Ganassi, 63 p.
5: Will Power (AUS), Penske, 61 p.
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7: Felix Rosenqvist (SWE), Meyer Shank Racing, 50 p.