Felix Rosenqvist soared to the top on Fast Friday for the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500.
Rain delayed the original noon ET start to the day by two hours, which led to the session, which featured an added boost of 100 horsepower, being extended to 7p.m.
With just over an hour left in the day, the ‘Speedy Swede’ Rosenqvist wheeled his #60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda to an ultra-quick flying lap of 233.372mph and set the fastest single-lap pace on the day.
The #20 ECR Chevrolet of Alexander Rossi, the 2016 Indy 500 winner, was second at 232.932mph. Rossi was fourth on the no-tow list.
Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin was third overall at 232.674mph, which also happened to be the fastest no-tow speed in the session.
“It’s better than going upside down,” said McLaughlin.
“That was the last time I was here on this boost level. I’m really proud of the execution. The Pennzoil Chevy was solid. The guys (teammates David Malukas and Josef Newgarden) ran before, so we sort of knew what balance we needed to hit. We got a really good test point there for the team.
“We’ll go back and scratch our heads a little bit more. It’s only going to get harder as the weekend goes on. It’s going to get hotter and with rain coming as well. We’ve got to make every run count, and I felt like that was my best run of the weekend. Really happy to do, at that boost level.”
Two-time Indy 500 winner Takuma Sato was fourth on the overall standings with a speed of 232.655mph in the #45 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda. He was ahead of 2022 Indy 500 winner Marcus Ericsson (Andretti Global), who nailed a best lap of 232.622mph in fifth.
Reigning and four-time IndyCar Series champion Alex Palou, also the defending Indy 500 winner, was sixth overall but second on the no-tow list at 232.532mph.
ECR driver/owner Ed Carpenter, a three-time pole-sitter of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” was seventh at 232.470mph. The #5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet of Pato O'Ward ended up eighth (232.427mph), ahead of Rinus VeeKay #76 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet in ninth (232.417mph). VeeKay’s pace was also third on the no-tow list.
Arrow McLaren’s Nolan Siegel took the final spot of the top 10 with a run at 232.416mph.
McLaughlin and Malukas, who was 16th overall (232.110mph) on single-lap pace, logged the fewest number of laps with seven. Jack Harvey, driving the #24 Chevrolet for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, ran the most laps at 42 and was 15th (232.124mph) on the overall leaderboard.
The most crucial run needed in qualifying this weekend, though, is the four-lap average runs.
Rosenqvist was quickest there, too, with a four-lap average run at Rosenqvist 232.828mph. McLaughlin’s 232.572mph run was second, directly ahead of Rossi at 232.543mph.
O'Ward was fourth with a 232.248mph four-lap average. In fifth was Palou’s 232.026mph run, with Malukas sixth at 232.024mph.
There were no on-track incidents during the session.
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