Rosenqvist on Texas IndyCar pole again for McLaren

Arrow McLaren driver Felix Rosenqvist has repeated his 2022 pole position for the 2023 Texas Motor Speedway IndyCar race.

A two-lap average of 220.264mph kept Rosenqvist clear of challenges from his team-mates, Scott Dixon and last year’s Texas winner Josef Newgarden, the Swede perhaps helped a little by running relatively early in the qualifying order before conditions became hotter.

First to do his qualifying lap is FRO. 💪

Topping the chart at P1 with 220.264 mph. 👀 pic.twitter.com/ihXfNDJQsF

— Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team (@ArrowMcLaren) April 1, 2023

There were moments on Alexander Rossi and Pato O’Ward’s qualifying runs when they looked like they’d be able to give McLaren a front-row sweep.

But their runs faded, allowing Dixon to put his Ganassi car second alongside Rosenqvist and Penske driver Newgarden to take fourth ahead of O’Ward – who cited preparation problems on his car, McLaren saying it couldn’t achieve everything it wanted to between practice and qualifying.

Takuma Sato announced his arrival in the Ganassi line-up with an impressive sixth on the grid in the car he’s sharing with Marcus Armstrong this season.

While Alex Palou was in the lead mix too for Ganassi in seventh, St Petersburg race winner and early championship leader Marcus Ericsson was only 16th.

He shares row eight with another surprise qualifying struggler, the man who was only denied victory by Newgarden at the final corner last year – Scott McLaughlin.

Reigning champion Will Power rued his gearing as he hit the rev limiter on the way to eighth for Penske, ahead of Dale Coyne Racing’s David Malukas and the best Andretti Autosport car of Colton Herta completing the top 10.

As McLaren, Ganassi and Penske set the pace, there was a clear divide to the teams struggling on the high-banked oval.

Owner/driver Ed Carpenter is the best of his team’s three entries in 18th, puzzled Meyer Shank duo Helio Castroneves and Simon Pagenaud are down in 21st and 22nd and Rahal Letterman Lanigan’s understeering cars couldn’t do any better than Graham Rahal’s 24th.

Teams are now swiftly back on track for two further practice sessions, one of which is reserved for running a high line. That’s an attempt to get more rubber down higher up the track, as part of a range of measures being introduced at this race to try to improve overtaking opportunities.

Qualifying Results