Felix Rosenqvist was unable to convert his pole position into a win in Long Beach due to brake issues that arose shortly after the green flag.
Rosenqvist was able to lead the first lap, which began under caution owing to a Race Control malfunction. On lap 2 of 85, he immediately lost the lead to fellow front row starter Will Power, who made an outside move into Turn 1 in the No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet to pass him.
It proved to be the start of a downward fall for the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda, which dropped to fourth on lap 5 and sixth just three laps later.
Despite the caution on lap 15, the Swede stayed on track, following a conservative strategy and pitted on laps 29 and 59. In the end, he was unable to regain the lost track position and finished ninth on the 1.968-mile, 11-turn temporary street circuit.
“The first segment is where we really lost the race,” Rosenqvist stated.
“We had some brake issues: they were running quite hot, so I was way off on my bias and had to chase it down. We had poor braking performance, so I was constantly passing at Turn 1, both inside and outside. Without braking confidence, you cannot protect or move forward.
“But the team played well despite that; we kept our calm, even if it was unpleasant to fall down the field.”
With two front row starts and two top ten finishes in the first two points-paying races of the season, Rosenqvist is seventh in the championship standings, 37 points behind leader Josef Newgarden.
“We’re looking at the broader picture, and a top-10 finish for the team is still fantastic for us,” said Rosenqivst, who also finished third in the non-points event at The Thermal Club last month.
“Of course, we would have like to turn the pole into a win, but this is positive momentum for everyone.”
Now, the focus moves to the following round at Barber Motorsports Park, where Rosenqvist has two top -10 finishes in four appearances.
“We tested there a couple of weeks ago, which is useful,” Rosenqvist explained. “It’s beneficial to have that under your belt heading into the race weekend, since most teams don’t.
“I still believe it’s a music we mentioned that we want to work on. I feel pretty good about it; I’m not sure if our package will be as strong as it was here, but I believe we have a decent foundation to work from.
“First road course of the season, and I’m excited to see how the vehicle feels.”
