The 33-year-old racing driver finished fifth in qualifying, thereby taking a place between two previous winners of Indianapolis 500, Dixon and Alex Palou, in the second starting grid.
Felix Rosenqvist is disappointed not to have taken one of the three top positions that give a place in the first starting grid, but still feels that he has a good chance in the competition that marks the 109th edition of the motorsport classic.
"I think we gave it a really honest attempt. The car was on the limit of what we could do and what we thought was possible out there today. For some reason, we didn't quite have the speed when it mattered – but the second starting grid is a very good starting point. We have all the chances to fight for it next Sunday", says Rosenqvist in a press release.
Marcus Ericsson, the other Swede in the race, finished ninth in qualifying and starts in the third starting grid. In 2022, Ericsson became the latest of only two Swedes to win Indy 500. Kenny Bräck was the first in 1999.
The fastest in this weekend's qualifying at Indianapolis Motor Speedway was Robert Schwartzman. Takuma Sato and Pato O'Ward will also start in the first starting grid.
Indianapolis 500, often abbreviated to Indy 500, is one of the really classic racing competitions" and is part of motorsport's so-called "Triple Crown", where the other races are Le Mans 24-hour and Monaco's GP. Briton Graham Hill is the only one who has managed to win all three.
The name comes from the fact that the competition measures 500 miles, nearly 805 kilometers. This corresponds to 200 laps on Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indiana, USA.
Two Swedes have won the race throughout history. Kenny Bräck was the first in 1999 and Marcus Ericsson copied the feat in 2022.
