INDIANAPOLIS — — Felix Rosenqvist continued to struggle for his seat within the IndyCar Sequence with a pole-winning run on the highway course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The Swede earned his second pole of the season with a run of 1 minute, 10.2265 seconds in Friday qualifying. It is the second pole of the season for Rosenqvist, who’s making the case for protecting his experience in IndyCar with Arrow McLaren SP.

The contract extension he just lately signed with McLaren Racing provides boss Zak Brown the power to shift Rosenqvist to Method E subsequent season — however Rosenqvist does not wish to go away IndyCar. Brown has 4 present IndyCar drivers signed — Rosenqvist, Pato O’Ward, Alexander Rossi and reigning champion Alex Palou — for 3 seats.

“I feel I’m in an excellent place it doesn’t matter what occurs. I’m going to have an excellent job someplace,” Rosenqvist stated. “IndyCar, I feel it’s type of addicting in a means. Prefer it’s very robust. If you succeed and if you win a race or get a podium or no matter, it’s simply one thing you wish to do once more as a result of it’s very rewarding if you do properly, but it surely may also be brutal if you’re struggling, as I did final 12 months.

“I’m doing properly, and I wish to proceed that, so yeah, hopefully I’ll keep.”

Rossi, who’s in his last season driving for Andretti Autosport, certified second for Saturday afternoon’s race. He’s shifting to Arrow McLaren subsequent 12 months when it expands to 3 automobiles.

O’Ward, who received Sunday at Iowa Speedway, certified third and rushed to hug teammate Rosenqvist after Rosenqvist edged him for the pole. O’Ward is lobbying arduous to maintain Rosenqvist as his teammate in IndyCar.

“I like the man, and I feel what makes the environment within the crew so good to work round him is that he’s a real good man, and it’s very straightforward to work with him,” O’Ward stated. “It’s in his finest curiosity for the entire crew to do properly. He received’t part himself off and need unhealthy upon the opposite automobile simply to do higher.

“I simply assume he suits precisely what the crew of McLaren Racing and all that stands for. With the intention to create a crew or to make a crew higher and drive it ahead, you want full belief and transparency when working with one another. If you happen to don’t have that, you’ve acquired nothing.”

Rosenqvist stated he is by no means had a teammate like O’Ward, with whom he may develop a real friendship away from the monitor. The 2 are virtually inseparable on race weekends, on the monitor and at eating places and social occasions away from the speedway.

“I contemplate myself fairly straightforward to get together with, however for positive I had unhealthy teammates that you simply don’t belief and also you don’t like, and also you simply should get on with it,” Rosenqvist stated. “I feel if you spend a lot time collectively over a season, prefer it’s simply so useful if you happen to can truly take pleasure in hanging out. I feel with Pato it’s very particular for positive. It’s one thing I hope that may last more.”

Will Energy certified fourth for Staff Penske and was adopted by teammate Josef Newgarden, who was medically cleared to compete earlier Friday. Newgarden collapsed and hit his head after crashing whereas main Sunday at Iowa.

Christian Lundgaard certified sixth for Rahal Letterman Lanigan.

The title race is a toss-up amongst six drivers separated by 44 factors with 5 races remaining. Indianapolis 500 winner Marcus Ericsson is the factors chief, however his automobile stalled throughout qualifying and he’ll begin final Saturday within the 25-car area.

“Man, I really feel with Marcus, the additional again he begins, the higher he finishes. He has like a magic means of simply all the time being there in the long run,” Rosenqvist stated of his fellow Swede. “That’s in all probability why he’s main the championship, man. He’s in all probability the very best racer within the area proper now. I don’t actually assume he’s anxious about it, both. Each time I discuss to him and he’s had a nasty qualifying, it’s identical to, ‘Oh, I’m simply going to drive up by means of the sector.’ He’s actually discovered easy methods to go ahead on this sequence.”

——