Felix Rosenqvist converted pole position into a second-place finish in the Grand Prix of Portland on Sunday, pocketing his third podium of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season and his third runner-up result at the Oregon event.
Following a commanding qualifying performance on Saturday that saw the Swedish Meyer Shank Racing driver line up on pole, Rosenqvist duly maintained his lead at the start of the race and throughout the opening 30-lap stint.
Passed by championship leader and eventual race winner Alex Palou in the first round of pit stops, Rosenqvist then spent the rest of the 110-lap race chasing the Chip Ganassi Racing Spaniard, but ultimately settled for second.
The outcome backs up two previous second-place finishes in Portland for Rosenqvist, scored in 2019 and 2023.
“It’s great to be on the podium again here in Portland, which always seems to suit me well,” says Felix Rosenqvist. “It’s just a shame I’m always second! Alex (Palou) went one lap longer before the first pit stop and that overcut was just so powerful.
“I also struggled a little bit with my launch; I was full lock on my steering wheel because we had (Mick) Schumacher’s crew ahead of us. That wasn’t ideal, and that whole sequence is where he got ahead of us and potentially where we lost the race today.”
Rosenqvist continued to put Palou under pressure throughout the race, briefly bringing the gap down to under a second before the final pit stop as backmarker lapping came into play.
“It was close and a couple of the late-race stints were very competitive for us,” Felix Rosenqvist concludes. “At the very end we had some issues getting past lapped cars, and I think Alex was a little bit better there. He did a really great job, so congratulations to him.
“Massive thanks to Meyer Shank Racing and to Honda – who got a triple podium here today – for a really solid weekend.”
After finishing second in Long Beach and winning the Indy 500, the Portland podium marks Rosenqvist’s third visit to the INDYCAR rostrum this season. The result also elevates him to sixth in the championship standings.
Next up is the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham, a new addition to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES calendar this year taking place on the outskirts of Toronto, Canada. The new event, which replaces the previous downtown track in Toronto, greets the teams and drivers next weekend (August 14-16).
RESULTS
NTT INDYCAR SERIES | Rd. 13
Grand Prix of Portland
Portland International Raceway (USA)
1: Alex Palou (ESP), Ganassi, 110 laps
2: Felix Rosenqvist (SWE), Meyer Shank Racing, +4.116s
3: Will Power (AUS), Andretti, +8.062s
4: Rinus Veekay (NED), JHR, +16.576s
5: Kyle Kirkwood (USA), Andretti, +19.378s
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
NTT INDYCAR SERIES | After 13/18 races
1: Alex Palou (ESP), Ganassi, 510 p.
2: Kyle Kirkwood (USA), Andretti, 400 p.
3: David Malukas (USA), Penske, 392 p.
4: Christian Lundgaard (DEN), Arrow McLaren, 375 p.
5: Pato O’Ward (MEX), Arrow McLaren, 355 p.
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6: Felix Rosenqvist (SWE), Meyer Shank Racing, 338 p.