Felix Rosenqvist appeared on course for a top six finish in the history-making Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C. but suffered a disappointing end to the event with a late-race spin.
With motor racing taking to the downtown streets of the American capital for the first time as part of the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations, round 15 of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season took on huge proportions as the cars swept past Capitol Hill and other iconic U.S. landmarks.
Rosenqvist qualified his Meyer Shank Racing Honda in tenth on the grid for Sunday’s race, which featured a mammoth 147 laps around the 1.7-mile street course to match 250 miles in reference to the occasion.
Moving his way gradually forward as the race developed, the Swedish Indy 500 winner seemed set for a solid result as the chequered flag finally neared, sitting P6 with less than 20 laps to go.
However, a restart on lap 128 changed the complexity of the day as Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin crashed just ahead, catching out Rosenqvist who spun into the wall in reaction.
Two subsequent trips to pit lane to replace the front wing and assess the car for damage ultimately put Rosenqvist one lap down, going on to finish 19th.
”We were having a decent race, sitting P6 on that late restart,” says Felix Rosenqvist. ”Then in Turn 1, I think McLaughlin got wide. It looked like he was going to spin over across the track, so I went off the racing line to avoid him. It was super slippery out there on the marbles and unfurtunately I just couldn’t save it. I think we had at least a top six finish in the bag today, so big shame on the points, but it is what it is.”
Having been part of the historic inaugural motor race on the National Mall, however, Rosenqvist still feels the weekend was as special as it gets.
”It’s been a great event here in D.C.,” Felix Rosenqvist concludes. ”Just being a part of this event and seeing all the effort that’s gone into it, and such a massive crowd coming here to watch us race – it’s something very special. It’s a shame we didn’t leave with the winners’ trophy, but I think INDYCAR as a whole has gained a lot of new fans this weekend.”
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ next event is the season’s only double-header meeting, with two races set to play out next weekend (August 28-29) at the Milwaukee Mile.
RESULTS
NTT INDYCAR SERIES | Rd. 15
Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C.
Streets of Washington (USA)
1: Kyle Kirkwood (USA), Andretti, 147 laps
2: Christian Lundgaard (DEN), Arrow McLaren, +3.090s
3: Will Power (AUS), Andretti, +4.184s
4: Marcus Ericsson (SWE), Andretti, +12.463s
5: Kyffin Simpson (CYM), Ganassi, +13.862s
—
19: Felix Rosenqvist (SWE), Meyer Shank Racing, +1 lap
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
NTT INDYCAR SERIES | After 15/18 races
1: Alex Palou (ESP), Ganassi, 553 p.
2: Kyle Kirkwood (USA), Andretti, 462 p.
3: Christian Lundgaard (DEN), Arrow McLaren, 443 p.
4: David Malukas (USA), Penske, 411 p.
5: Pato O’Ward (MEX), Arrow McLaren, 399 p.
—
8: Felix Rosenqvist (SWE), Meyer Shank Racing, 355 p.