Sweden’s Felix Rosenqvist Makes Head-Turning Debut At St. Pete

NTT IndyCar Series driver Felix Rosenqvist during the Firestone Grand Prix of St Petersburg on the Streets of St Petersburg. © [Andy Clary / Spacesuit Media]

by Allan Brewer

The rookie IndyCar driver turning heads in the season-opening Grand Prix of St. Petersburg last weekend was 27-year old Swede Felix Rosenqvist.

He posted the best time in his first-ever official IndyCar practice, qualified third and finished fourth in the race. His result was even more impressive after it was revealed that in the second half of the St. Petersburg race he had a trapped nerve that forced him to drive one-handed. Consider that an IndyCar lacks power steering and has a crapload of downforce dialed in for St. Pete’s twisty, tight dimensions enclosed in three-foot concrete barriers on each side. That makes it an heroic feat of strength and stamina.

Rosenqvist brought some old-world drama to the race course, laying a wicked Turn 1 pass on Team Penske’s Will Power—complete with front wheel lockup and billows of white smoke. A narrow and very short pit out lane almost brought him together with Power a second time, but Felix alertly dodged right to avoid the passing car and slimly miss the pit wall. He admitted post-race it was one of those “change of underwear” moments.

The outcome (if you were paying attention in the off- and pre-season) was not unexpected. Rosenqvist was fast the very first time he took the wheel of a 2019-spec DW-12 at Barber Motorsports Park last October. He pressed reigning IndyCar champion Scott Dixon at the Alabama road course and impressed his Chip Ganassi Racing teammates with his finesse and speed.

Without his helmet, Felix looks like a spitting image of Haas Formula 1’s Kevin Magnussen: thinning, short blonde hair, a scruffy white beard, a confident but unsmiling expression on the face. He gained international attention by virtue of his performances in European Formula 3 and Formula E competition. Rosenqvist shares the same business manager as teammate Dixon, Stephan Johansson.

At the end of the day, the Swedish rookie had led 31 laps over a tough, narrow street course that he had never seen before in person. Rosenqvist left Florida with the lead in the IndyCar series rookie of the year standings with 33 points.

Allan Brewer

Allan Brewer covers IndyCar and other racing series for RacingNation.com. Allan is a fixture at the race track, armed with keyboard and camera, eager to take you inside open-wheel sport where the news is being made. He comes to RacingNation.com with multiple professional awards from the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association (AWWRBA). He began his motorsports writing career at FastMachines.com; and solely published IndyProRacer.com and A1GP.com, two award-winning websites for open-wheel racing’s junior leagues, prior to becoming IndyCar correspondent at Motorsport.com. He has also covered Formula 1, NASCAR, Formula E, the Indy Lights Series and its predecessor Indy Pro Series, NHRA events and major auto shows. His major interest outside of competition is automotive technology and its application to the cars we drive every day on the public highways.

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