Felix Rosenqvist experienced both highs and lows before eventually settling in the midfield in this weekend’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway.
Rosenqvist got proceedings off to a promising start at the 1.25-mile oval – commonly known as “Gateway” – by recording the third-best lap in Friday’s opening practice session.
A qualifying spin a few hours later left the Arrow McLaren SP Swede last on the 26-car grid for Saturday’s race, however, in a grim twist of fate.
Rosenqvist would turn the tide once again, though, swiftly battling his way back into contention with one of his all-time best opening laps – storming through half the grid to instantly settle into 13th.
“I had a really good start and managed to find some grip in the high lane that nobody else seemed to use,” says Felix Rosenqvist. “It took us past half the field in one or two laps. Overtaking is normally very hard at Gateway, so it was an important start and quite unexpected to be honest.”
Rosenqvist then spent the core of the race in the midfield until lap 217, when rain triggered a lengthy red-flag delay. Once racing resumed to complete the final 43 laps, Rosenqvist wrapped up the last oval race of the season in 16th place.
“We were in a strong position before the rain arrived, trying to do one stop less than the rest, but the red flag scrapped that,” Rosenqvist concludes. “At the restart, we gambled to pit for new tyres, hoping to make up some ground.
“Unfortunately I got stuck behind (Simon) Pagenaud, who seemed to struggle a lot, so I lost a bunch of cars instead. We were hoping for more this weekend, but there are two races to go and I really want to end this year on a high.”
The penultimate round of the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES takes place at Portland on September 2-4, with the season-finale following suit a week later at Laguna Seca.
RESULTS
NTT INDYCAR SERIES | Rd. 15
Bommarito Automotive Group 500
World Wide Technology Raceway (USA)
1: Josef Newgarden (USA), Penske, 260 laps
2: David Malukas (USA), Dale Coyne, +0.470s
3: Scott McLaughlin (NZL), Penske, +1.525s
4: Pato O’Ward (MEX), Arrow McLaren SP, +5.207s
5: Takuma Sato (JPN), Dale Coyne, +5.536s
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16: Felix Rosenqvist (SWE), Arrow McLaren SP, +1 lap
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
NTT INDYCAR SERIES | After 15/17 races
1: Will Power (AUS), Penske, 482 p.
2: Josef Newgarden (USA), Penske, 479 p.
3: Scott Dixon (NZL), Ganassi, 468 p.
4: Marcus Ericsson (SWE), Ganassi, 465 p.
5: Alex Palou (ESP), Ganassi, 439 p.
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8: Felix Rosenqvist (SWE), Arrow McLaren SP, 340 p.