Rosenqvist Scores Long Beach Pole, Hopes for IndyCar Season Turnaround

Meyer Shank driver delivers breakthrough result after difficult start to 2026 season

Apr. 19, 2026 at 2:03am

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A cubist, geometric painting featuring overlapping planes of bright team colors, capturing the energy and movement of an IndyCar race at the Long Beach street circuit.Rosenqvist's pole position at Long Beach could be the spark that ignites a turnaround for him and Meyer Shank Racing in the 2026 IndyCar season.Long Beach Today

Felix Rosenqvist, driver of the #60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda, secured pole position for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, his seventh career pole and the second for the MSR team. Sitting 14th in the championship standings with zero top 10 finishes through the opening four rounds, Rosenqvist was eager to find a breakthrough result to boost his and the team's confidence.

Why it matters

Rosenqvist's pole position comes at a crucial time, as he and Meyer Shank Racing have struggled to find consistent results so far in the 2026 IndyCar season. The pole gives the team momentum heading into the race, where they will look to convert it into a much-needed victory.

The details

Rosenqvist delivered an inch-perfect flying lap of 1m07.4635s on the 11-turn, 1.968-mile Long Beach street circuit, dethroning reigning and four-time series champion Alex Palou and fending off a challenge from close friend Pato O'Ward. The new qualifying format, which allowed the fastest driver from Segment 2 to choose when to make their pole-trying run, added an extra element of drama as Rosenqvist waited to see if his time would hold up.

  • Rosenqvist secured his seventh career pole position.
  • This was the second pole for Meyer Shank Racing, with their first coming at Long Beach in 2024.

The players

Felix Rosenqvist

A 34-year-old Swedish driver competing for Meyer Shank Racing in the 2026 IndyCar season.

Alex Palou

The reigning and four-time IndyCar series champion.

Pato O'Ward

An IndyCar driver and close friend of Felix Rosenqvist.

Meyer Shank Racing

The IndyCar team that Felix Rosenqvist drives for, which also won the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race at Long Beach on the same day.

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What they’re saying

“It was exactly what we were looking for. I think when you're struggling, it doesn't come easy, like it's kind of between the races where you find the problems. You show up and hopefully it's better. We were quick from the get-go here.”

— Felix Rosenqvist, Driver, #60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda

“I feel like the confidence you get from something like this, it's obviously huge not only for me but everyone in the team after having a bit of a drought, in terms of results.”

— Felix Rosenqvist, Driver, #60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda

“We actually didn't change anything during qualifying. We did quite a lot of changes going into it. The first run we had a real good run. We kind of nailed our tire prep. Then we just focused on executing what I could do in the car, kind of improved and improved. Yeah, it was pretty dialed in. Felt confident.”

— Felix Rosenqvist, Driver, #60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda

What’s next

Rosenqvist will look to convert his pole position into a much-needed victory at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, which would help kickstart his and Meyer Shank Racing's 2026 IndyCar season.

The takeaway

Felix Rosenqvist's pole position at Long Beach comes at a critical time, as he and Meyer Shank Racing have struggled to find consistent results so far this season. The breakthrough performance provides a much-needed boost in confidence for the team, and they will now focus on translating the pole into a victory that could turn their season around.