Eric Smith-INDYCAR Staff Writer
Felix Rosenqvist enters Sunday’s Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix powered by AmFirst riding a wave of cautious optimism and experience. After three races, he’s sitting fourth in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES standings – matching career-best early-season form from 2019 and 2024.
While last year’s season started strong, including being fifth at this point, it unraveled in the second half, leaving Rosenqvist 12th in the final standings.
However, both Rosenqvist and Meyer Shank Racing believe they’re better equipped in 2025 to sustain a title challenge, starting with the race airing at 1:30 p.m. ET Sunday on FOX, the FOX Sports app and the INDYCAR Radio Network.
That belief is backed by key improvements.
For starters, the No. 60 MSR Honda entry significantly climbed the entrant points standings last year, ascending from 25th in 2023 to 12th in Rosenqvist’s first season driving the car.
“Last year we had a lot of DNF’s, which were mainly technical issues, to be honest,” Rosenqvist said. “I think last year we probably belonged in the top eight. This year, it feels like we’re a little bit better.”
Rosenqvist highlighted why he feels like the team is better. The team shifted its technical alliance with Andretti Global, a pairing since 2020, to Chip Ganassi Racing starting this season. Rosenqvist said Andretti Global focused more on outright qualifying speed during their partnership with MSR, while CGR zeros in on setups that bring race pace.
That appears to be more than just a tweak – it may be transformative.
Rosenqvist’s early consistency in 2025 with strong race results – seventh, fifth and fourth in the first three races – rather than just qualifying flashes suggests the CGR influence is helping him convert pace into points.
“It’s a trend of the year,” Rosenqvist said. “I think last year we had really good qualifying results, and we tended to move rearwards in the races. And this year we’ve been really good in the races.”
In 17 points-paying races last season, Rosenqvist finished behind his starting position 13 times. This season, he’s gained or finished even in two of the three.
If MSR can continue blending Ganassi’s race pace insights with Rosenqvist’s proven speed in qualifying, the team may have found the formula to stay in the top tier all season.
“I think there’s still stuff to do better,” Rosenqvist said. “We had a little hiccup in Long Beach and gave something away, I think, essentially a podium. But it’s a good day, and I feel like we’re here every race.”
The other layer to the improvement equation were some CGR personnel who are working this season with MSR due to the alliance. One is Ross Bunnell, who is Rosenqvist’s engineer this season. He was Scott Dixon’s engineer on the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda since 2023.
Bunnell led Dixon to five wins across two seasons.
“Ross (Bunnell) has done a phenomenal job,” Rosenqvist said. “He’s a really good engineer, and he brings a lot of knowledge. He’s taught me a lot of new things this year, even in my seventh year. “I feel like we’re hungry and we’re definitely getting better and better.”
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