Felix Rosenqvist has secured pole position for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, following an exceptional performance on the urban circuit. The Swedish driver, behind the wheel of the #60 Meyer Shank Racing car, completed a fast lap of 1m07.4635s, which marks the seventh pole of his IndyCar career.
His rival, Pato O’Ward, who was competing with the #5 Arrow McLaren car, was the last to hit the track during qualifying, finishing just 0.0441s behind the best time. O’Ward made a strong effort to try to surpass Rosenqvist, but ultimately had to settle for second place.
Alex Palou from Chip Ganassi Racing achieved third place with a time of 1m07.5289s, followed by Kyle Kirkwood from Andretti Global and David Malukas from Team Penske, who completed the initial quintet. Scott Dixon, six-time series champion, had to settle for sixth position.
Qualifying Format
The adjusted qualifying format for urban circuits allowed drivers to choose the timing of their exits. In the qualifying phase, Malukas set a good initial time, but Palou managed to dethrone him before Rosenqvist took the top spot with a perfect lap.
Kirkwood, the winner of the previous race in Long Beach, also showcased good performance but small errors during his final lap left him in fourth position. Dixon, on the other hand, couldn’t reach the top spots and closed the grid with a time that didn’t allow him to improve his performance.
This Sunday, Rosenqvist will start ahead of the expectant grid in a race that promises to be exciting, with O’Ward lurking to attempt his recovery and Palou fighting for a podium spot.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
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