LONG BEACH, Calif. — Felix Rosenqvist had the right strategy to win the pole in IndyCar’s newly tweaked Firestone Fast 6 single-lap format, winning the pole for Sunday’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. It’s the Meyer-Shank Racing driver’s first pole since Long Beach in 2024.
Rosenqvist was the third driver on the course and the fastest after his run after running a lap at 1:07.463 around the 11-turn, 1.968-mile street course.
“That was nerve-racking to watch my buddy Pato O’Ward on that last lap,” Rosenqvist said. “It was close. Oh man, what a day for Meyer Shank. We won the IMSA race and then we win the pole.
“What a tough start of the year. We said we wanted to bounce back here and here we are.”
IndyCar tweaked its single-lap Fast 6 qualification format, giving the fastest driver from the second round their choice of when to qualify and which tires to use in their final qualification run.
Malukas was the fastest in Round 2 and Team Penske chose to be the first on track in the Fast Six. Malukas drove a solid lap at 1:07.650 in the No. 12 Verizon Chevrolet. Alex Palou was next in the No. 10 OpenAI Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing with one lap to try to take over No. 1 on the grid. Palou succeeded on knocking off Malukas with a lap at 1:07.528.
“There was some more (speed),” Malukas said. “You’re trying to push it as hard as you can, but we’re struggling with getting temps up. We were already struggling compared to all the other guys to get the car up to temp, so that’s why we wanted to go right away. There are so many mistakes I made, but the car is just not ready, it’s going all over the place. We knew it was going to be tough to compete with them when it comes to this situation.
“Still very happy, with the No. 12 Verizon Chevrolet with Team Penske. We’re up for a good start.”
Rosenqvist was the third driver on the track and surprised the field with his strategy, able to turn a better lap than Palou at 1:07.463 for the provisional pole.
“It’s painful, it’s painful to try to do those laps,” Palou said. “My car was great. It was really, really good. I just make a small mistake on that last corner, missed the apex, locked it up and it was game over.
“Happy we challenged a little bit for the pole.”
That left three drivers with a chance at the fastest lap, but it also gave their car and tires more time to cool down, potentially creating a disadvantage for a fast speed.
Race favorite Kyle Kirkwood of Andretti Global, the defending winner who has won this race twice from the pole, was the fourth driver on track. Kirkwood ended up third on the grid at 1:07.619.
“I’m sorry, I lost a bit in Turn 8,” Kirkwood radioed to his crew.
Scott Dixon and Pato O’Ward were the final two drivers to make an attempt. It was Dixon’s first time in the Fast 6 and in the top 12 this year. Dixon was fifth at 1:07.650.
It was up to O’Ward to determine the starting lineup as the last driver in the Fast Six. O’Ward nearly shocked pit lane with a speed that nearly knocked off Rosenqvist for the pole, but O’Ward was just short at 1:07.507 in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet and will start on the outside of the front row in Sunday’s race that begins at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time (3:30 pm Pacific Time).
With O’Ward’s run, Palou starts third, Kirkwood fourth, Malukas fifth and Dixon will start sixth. It was O’Ward’s best start of the season.
“Stellar day for me in Long Beach,” O’Ward said. “This is by far; the best start I’ve ever had here.
“Good to be on the front row with my old pal, ‘Fro’ (Rosenqvist). Fro put down a heater.”