Felix Rosenqvist came through a chaotic NTT INDYCAR SERIES event to snatch a P7 finish in Sunday’s Big Machine Music City Grand Prix on the streets of Nashville.
After clinching pole position at the previous round in Indianapolis last week, Rosenqvist arrived at the Tennessee street course with wind in his sails, and opened proceedings convincingly with second place in Friday practice.
Things then took a frustrating turn in qualifying when Rosenqvist was denied any representative laps due to red-flag interruptions and lined up 15th – although that eventually proved secondary as havoc erupted on race day.
Swinging from hope to despair and back again across eight caution periods, the Arrow McLaren SP Swede eventually found himself in ninth when the race was red-flagged with four laps to go.
A clever strategic decision allowed Rosenqvist, shod with fresh Firestone alternate tyres, to make up a further two positions on the final restart and ultimately score a considerable points haul for seventh place.
“That’s a race I’ll remember for a while,” says Felix Rosenqvist. “There was just so much going on, and on my part, I somehow managed to keep my nose relatively clean and get to the end. That was a challenge in itself today.
“I felt there was a lot more promise in pure pace once again this weekend, but with all the chaos going on it was basically a lottery, and the team played it well at the end to pit me for a new set of alternates and bring us towards the front.”
With three races to go of the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season, Rosenqvist remains ninth in the championship standings. Racing resumes in two weeks’ time at the Gateway oval.
RESULTS
NTT INDYCAR SERIES | Rd. 14
Big Machine Music City Grand Prix
Nashville (USA)
1: Scott Dixon (NZL), Ganassi, 80 laps
2: Scott McLaughlin (NZL), Penske, +0.106s
3: Alex Palou (ESP), Ganassi, +0.610s
4: Alexander Rossi (USA), Andretti, +0.941s
5: Colton Herta (USA), Andretti, +1.394s
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7: Felix Rosenqvist (SWE), Arrow McLaren SP, +2.842s
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
NTT INDYCAR SERIES | After 14/17 races
1: Will Power (AUS), Penske, 450 p.
2: Scott Dixon (NZL), Ganassi, 444 p.
3: Marcus Ericsson (SWE), Ganassi, 438 p.
4: Josef Newgarden (USA), Penske, 428 p.
5: Alex Palou (ESP), Ganassi, 417 p.
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9: Felix Rosenqvist (SWE), Arrow McLaren SP, 325 p.