Felix Rosenqvist posts 233.372 mph Fast Friday lap

Felix Rosenqvist set the fastest lap of Fast Friday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 15, giving Meyer Shank Racing the top single-lap speed in the final practice before Indianapolis 500 qualifying. The Swede reached 233.372 mph in the No. 60 Honda, according to INDYCAR. Morning rain delayed the start by two hours, and the session that had been scheduled for six hours was reduced to five. Rosenqvist also posted the fastest four-lap simulated qualifying run as teams shifted from traffic work to trim setups ahead of the weekend. ### Why did Friday’s speeds matter more than the earlier practice days? Fast Friday is the one Indianapolis 500 practice session in which teams get extra turbocharger boost, bringing engine settings closer to what they will use in qualifying. That makes the speeds less comparable to earlier days and more useful as a preview of who has outright pace for a four-lap run. INDYCAR said Rosenqvist’s lap topped the chart on the 2.5-mile oval and that his car also led the four-lap simulation category. Rosenqvist told INDYCAR his team “started pretty slow” before finding speed later in the shortened session. ### How much did the rain change the day at Indianapolis? Morning rain pushed the start of Fast Friday back by two hours and compressed track time on the last practice day before qualifying. (indycar.com) INDYCAR said the session was shortened from six hours to five, while Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s event schedule listed Fast Friday activity beginning in the afternoon after the delay. IndyStar reported officials extended the back end of Friday’s running after the weather interruption, with teams trying to recover lost preparation time before qualifying began the next day. The compressed schedule mattered because qualifying trim work typically comes late in the week, when teams devote long runs and setup changes to a narrow weather window. (indycar.com) ### What exactly did Rosenqvist show in the No. 60 car? Rosenqvist entered the 2026 season in his third year with Meyer Shank Racing and his eighth INDYCAR season overall, driving the No. 60 Honda. On Friday, he paired the fastest outright lap with the quickest four-lap simulation, the combination teams chase before qualifying because the Indianapolis 500 grid is set by four-lap average speed rather than a single flyer. (indystar.com) The 233.372 mph lap put Rosenqvist at the top of a session that INDYCAR framed as unusually open heading into qualifying. Curt Cavin wrote on INDYCAR.com that there was “no clear favorite” for the weekend, with positions 16 through 33 to be set on Saturday and the top 15 moving on. ### How does qualifying work this weekend with a 33-car field? INDYCAR said the 2026 qualifying format includes an extra round because the field has exactly 33 entries, the number needed to fill the starting grid. (indycar.com) Saturday’s session locks in positions 16 through 33, while every driver in the top 15 advances to Sunday’s rounds. FOX Sports said the fastest nine from Saturday are guaranteed a place in Sunday’s Top 12 qualifying session, where drivers continue competing for the NTT P1 Award. (indycar.com) Cars ranked 10th through 15th on Saturday move into a separate Fast 15 round on Sunday. ### What comes next at the Speedway? Saturday, May 16, is scheduled to begin with practice before Qualifying Day 1 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (indycar.com) INDYCAR’s event page lists qualifying windows on Saturday and says spots 16 through 33 will be set that day, with the top 15 advancing to the final rounds on Sunday, May 17. The 110th Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for Sunday, May 24, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (indycar.com) (foxsports.com)