Rosenqvist set an impressive pace in his Honda-powered MSR machine, clocking in at 1m00.339s, nearly half a second faster than his competitors following his switch from Arrow McLaren during the off-season.
The remaining contenders in the top 10 were separated by less than three tenths of a second, prompting fourth-fastest driver Will Power of Penske to remark, “Felix is on another level out there.”
Expressing his surprise, Rosenqvist stated, “We were really strong right from the start, very confident, which has been the case since pre-season testing. And with the reds, we made another leap forward.”
He added, “The car felt fantastic. Transitioning to Meyer Shank Racing has been incredibly smooth. Unlike my experience at McLaren, where there was a steep learning curve with the car, everything fell into place here from Day 1. With a smaller group, it’s been easier to adapt.”
Reflecting on their performance, Rosenqvist said, “We had a solid start, although we weren’t entirely sure where we’d stand when we started pushing. We anticipated being competitive, but not to this extent. I believe we’ll excel on street tracks; I feel more at ease on those circuits.”
Following closely behind McLaren’s Pato O’Ward, Marcus Armstrong emerged as the fastest among the five Chip Ganassi Racing drivers, just 0.007s shy of securing the second spot.
Commenting on his performance, Armstrong remarked, “The car had a challenging start, and to be honest, it didn’t feel particularly great towards the end. However, we’re still up there, so I can’t ask for much more.”
Power, who secured the fourth-fastest time, acknowledged Rosenqvist’s exceptional performance, stating, “Felix is dominating out there, but the competition is tight. I always expected him to excel in this environment; he’s incredibly fast. It’s no surprise to me.”
Assessing his own prospects, Power noted, “The car feels solid, everything is under control, which indicates I have some reserve. I’m highly motivated; last year’s lack of wins has fueled my determination. Delivering top-notch performance is the standard at this team, and I’ve been focused on nothing but competing at the highest level this season.”