Felix Rosenqvist

Indy Lights and first laps in an IndyCar

Rosenqvist took his first laps in an IndyCar in 2016 during a private test with Chip Ganassi Racing at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. This was also the team for which the Swede would make his debut in 2019.

Many IndyCar circuits were already familiar to Rosenqvist by the time of his debut. Although he had mostly raced in Europe prior to his IndyCar debut, the Swede completed a part-time program in Indy Lights with Belardi Auto Racing in 2016. He won no less than three of the ten races in which he competed.

Successful first season crowned with Rookie of the Year title

In 2019, Felix Rosenqvist made his debut in the NTT IndyCar Series with Chip Ganassi Racing. During this season, the Swede achieved ten top-10 finishes, with two second-place finishes as his highlights. This earned him the Rookie of the Year title.

After the success of 2019, Rosenqvist also raced for Chip Ganassi Racing in 2020, but this season did not go as he had hoped. The former Formula E driver scored only five top-10 finishes in fourteen races, ending the season in eleventh place in the standings.

First victory, but also departure from Chip Ganassi

Despite a difficult second season, 2020 brought a major highlight for Rosenqvist. At Road America, he claimed his first NTT IndyCar Series victory, becoming the first Swedish IndyCar race winner since Kenny Bräck in 2002. However, in 2021, Felix Rosenqvist no longer raced for Chip Ganassi Racing. That year, he replaced Oliver Askew at Arrow McLaren SP, becoming the new teammate of Patricio O'Ward.

Tough season and major crash

Rosenqvist's first season with his new team proved to be particularly difficult. The Swede finished in the top 10 in only two of the fourteen races, with a sixth-place finish at Portland International Raceway as his best result. The season also had another low point. During the first race at Belle Isle Park in Detroit, Rosenqvist had a major crash after his car’s throttle got stuck. Unable to brake, he crashed hard into the tire barriers at turn six.

Due to this serious crash, Rosenqvist not only had to miss the second race of that weekend but also the following race at Road America, the track where he had won just a year earlier.

Progress and disappointment with McLaren

In 2022, Rosenqvist showed clear progress. He secured two pole positions and finished eighth in the championship. A year later, he was frequently very fast, but often struggled to achieve the desired results. Despite two pole positions and two podium finishes, he ended the season twelfth in the championship. Ultimately, he lost his McLaren seat to David Malukas.

New opportunity with Meyer Shank Racing

After his unsuccessful stint with McLaren, Rosenqvist got a new opportunity with Meyer Shank Racing in 2024. He quickly found the right 'click' with the team. In his first four races, he finished in the top 10 four times, and in Long Beach, he even qualified on pole position. However, his results declined later in the season, and he finished twelfth in the championship. Nevertheless, he had shown enough to secure a multi-year contract extension with the team.