Felix Rosenqvist scored the pole for Sunday’s NTT IndyCar Series season finale at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Photo: Penske Entertainment: Chris Owens
Arrow McLaren posted stickers reading “THANK YOU FRO” inside the car of Felix Rosenqvist this weekend at the season-ending Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey.
After qualifying Saturday, the team has even more reason to thank the Swedish driver.
Rosenqvist won the pole for the NTT IndyCar Series season finale in his last race with Arrow McLaren, turning a lap of 1 minute, 6.6416 seconds in the team’s No. 6 Chevrolet during the Firestone Fast Six. It’s the second pole this season and fifth career for Rosenqvist, who will move to Meyer Shank Racing next season.
“This is our last race together tomorrow, so what a way to get that going,” Rosenqvist said. “Especially here, track position is super important. We couldn’t have given ourselves a better opportunity.”
Rosenqvist will try to earn his second career win and first with Arrow McLaren in the 95-lap race Sunday.
Scott McLaughlin will join Rosenqvist on the front row after his qualifying lap of 1:06.6513. McLaughlin just missed unseating Rosenqvist from the top spot on the last flying lap of the Firestone Fast Six, almost overcoming a mistake at the start of his hot lap.
“I dropped a wheel at (turn) 10, the fast right-hander, just trying to get that extra little bit,” McLaughlin said. “The car was mega. I really feel bad for these guys on the XPEL Chevy. Congrats to Felix. It’s pretty awesome he got his last pole with the team there.”
Christian Lundgaard qualified third at 1:06.7478. The Firestone Fast Six was a case of what could have been for Lundgaard, who bounced inside the apex of the famous Corkscrew corner on his penultimate qualifying run, losing time on a lap that appeared to be headed for pole.
Lundgaard also set an IndyCar Series track record of 1:06.4610 during the second round of qualifying, breaking Helio Castroneves’ record of 1:07.722 set in 2000. The 11-turn, 2.238-mile road course was repaved this May, with extra grip leading to quicker times and higher speeds.
Two-time series champion Josef Newgarden qualified fourth at 1:06.7937.
Scott Dixon will start on the inside of Row 3 after qualifying fifth at 1:07.0171. Alex Palou, who clinched his second season championship last Sunday at Portland, qualified sixth at 1:07.2846. Palou earned a spot in the Firestone Fast Six for the ninth time this season.
Juri Vips was the top rookie qualifier in seventh. Former Formula 2 driver Vips made his series debut last weekend at Portland.
One of the biggest surprises in the first round of qualifying was the elimination of Colton Herta, who led practice Friday. Herta, who will start 15th, won this race from the pole in 2019 and 2021.
Live coverage of Sunday’s race starts at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC, Peacock, Telemundo Deportes on Universo and the IndyCar Radio Network.
NTT IndyCar Series
WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca – Montery, CA
Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey – September 9, 2023
Saturday’s Qualifying Results
1. (6) Felix Rosenqvist, Chevrolet, 01:06.6416 (120.897 mph)
2. (3) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, 01:06.6513 (120.880)
3. (45) Christian Lundgaard, Honda, 01:06.7478 (120.705)
4. (2) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 01:06.7937 (120.622)
5. (9) Scott Dixon, Honda, 01:07.0171 (120.220)
6. (10) Alex Palou, Honda, 01:07.2846 (119.742)
7. (30) Juri Vips, Honda, 01:06.8300 (120.557)
8. (21) Rinus VeeKay, Chevrolet, 01:06.9172 (120.400)
9. (12) Will Power, Chevrolet, 01:06.9282 (120.380)
10. (28) Romain Grosjean, Honda, 01:07.1292 (120.019)
11. (14) Santino Ferrucci, Chevrolet, 01:07.4479 (119.452)
12. (5) Pato O’Ward, Chevrolet, 01:07.9392 (118.588)
13. (78) Agustin Canapino, Chevrolet, 01:07.4009 (119.535)
14. (15) Graham Rahal, Honda, 01:07.2323 (119.835)
15. (26) Colton Herta, Honda, 01:07.4666 (119.419)
16. (11) Marcus Armstrong, Honda, 01:07.3726 (119.586)
17. (7) Alexander Rossi, Chevrolet, 01:07.5425 (119.285)
18. (27) Kyle Kirkwood, Honda, 01:07.4029 (119.532)
19. (8) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, 01:07.6149 (119.157)
20. (77) Callum Ilott, Chevrolet, 01:07.5183 (119.328)
21. (60) Tom Blomqvist, Honda, 01:07.7419 (118.934)
22. (18) David Malukas, Honda, 01:07.7816 (118.864)
23. (55) Benjamin Pedersen, Chevrolet, 01:07.7583 (118.905)
24. (51) Sting Ray Robb, Honda, 01:07.8639 (118.720)
25. (20) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Chevrolet, 01:11.0620 (113.377)
26. (29) Devlin DeFrancesco, Honda, 01:07.9083 (118.642)
27. (06) Helio Castroneves, Honda, No Time (No Speed)
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