Felix Rosenqvist will start from the pole in Sunday’s Long Beach Grand Prix IndyCar race seeking his second career victory in 118 starts on the circuit and first since 2020.
Rosenqvist completed his lap in the Firestone Fast Six segment of qualifying in 1 minute, 7.4635 seconds, then watched as the final three drivers unsuccessfully sought to top his time.
“That was nerve-wracking to watch,” the Swede said after winning his seventh IndyCar pole. “My old buddy Pato there at the end, that was close. That was a good lap.”
Of the 41 IndyCar races in Long Beach, the pole winner has gone on to win the race six times.
Pato O’Ward of Mexico, the final driver in the Firestone Fast Six, completed his lap on the 1.968-mile, 11-turn temporary street circuit surrounding the Long Beach Convention Center in 1:07.5076, and will start second in the 25-car grid.
“Stellar day for me in Long Beach,” said O’Ward, whose time in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet was equivalent to 104.948 mph. “This is by far the best qualifying day I’ve had. I’ve been happy with the car I’ve been given from practice one.”
Rosenqvist’s time in the No.60 SiriusXM/Acura Honda was equivalent to 105.017 mph.
Rosenqvist and O’Ward were teammates at Arrow McLaren from 2021-23.
Under the new Firestone Fast Six street course qualifying format introduced last month at the Grand Prix of Arlington, drivers get single-car, single-lap qualifying runs.
The choice of qualifying order is based on Segment 2 results. The fastest qualifier from Segment 2 is the first to choose which position they would like to make their Fast Six qualifying run with subsequent choices made for the remaining positions based on the order of Segment 2 results.
Rosenqvist drove third and knocked the driver who preceded him, Spaniard Alex Palou, off the pole. Palou will start third after a lap of 1:07.528, 104.915 mph.
American Kyle Kirkwood — the 2023 and 2025 pole and race winner — was next to drive, and will start fourth after a lap of 1:07.6199, 104.774 mph.
New Zealander Scott Dixon drove fifth and will start sixth after a after a lap of 1:07.8566, 104.408 mph.
Australian Will Power, who had Friday’s fastest practice time, just missed advancing to the Firestone Fast Six, with the seventh-fastest Elimination Round 2 time., 1:07.5163, 104.935 mph. Power will start seventh.
Kirkwood is the series leader with 156 points, two more than Palou, the champion each of the past three seasons. Kirkwood is the only driver to finish in the top five in each of the season’s four races, including winning the Grand Prix of Arlington March 15.
The race warmup will be held from 10:10 to 10:40 a.m. and be televised by FS1.
Pre-race ceremonies are set to start at 1:30 p.m. The call of “Drivers, Start Your Engines!” is scheduled for 2:50 p.m. and the 90-lap, 177.12-mile race at 2:57 p.m.
Fox’s telecast is set to begin at 2:30 p.m.
Tré Cool, drummer for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-inducted punk rock trio Green Day will ride in what IndyCar has dubbed as “The Fastest Seat in Sports,” a custom IndyCar Series car with a special back passenger seat. The car will serve as the race’s pace car.