MONTEREY, Calif. — Felix Rosenqvist will finish his tenure with Arrow McLaren Racing by ranging from the pole within the IndyCar Collection season finale at Laguna Seca.

Rosenqvist received his second pole of the season — first because the Texas Motor Speedway oval in March — with a lap at 1 minute, 06.6416 seconds on Saturday across the freshly paved everlasting highway course. Rosenqvist received the one two poles of the season for McLaren, which continues to be looking for its first win of the season from its three-driver lineup headed into Sunday’s finale.

“A extremely cool strategy to finish my means with Arrow McLaren and I simply love going into this final one in the very best place,” Rosenqvist stated. “In a means it is form of ironic, it is simply form of proving the tempo we’ve. Issues have not been easy. I made a number of errors, the group made a number of errors, however the primary factor you need to maintain displaying your tempo.

“It is slightly emotional however an ideal strategy to begin the ultimate weekend.”

Rosenqvist introduced earlier this week that he is transferring to Meyer Shank Racing subsequent season; McLaren stated David Malukas will change him subsequent 12 months.

The Swede has liked his three years at McLaren however has spent the final two seasons in limbo. McLaren believed it had signed Álex Palou final 12 months to exchange Rosenqvist this season, however the deal was delayed as Palou needed to end his contract with Chip Ganassi Racing.

That was solely a delay, although, and Rosenqvist has assumed all 12 months that Palou was nonetheless going to exchange him in 2024. Rosenqvist nonetheless had a shot at staying at McLaren if the group expanded to 4 vehicles, however he in the end determined to maneuver on fairly than anticipate a choice from the group.

In the long run, Palou determined final month he wasn’t going to McLaren in any respect, too late for the group to retain Rosenqvist. However McLaren has been celebrating its departing driver all weekend — his cockpit says “Thanks, Fro” in each English and Swedish — and the group had a farewell celebration with cake on Friday.

Now Rosenqvist desires to finish the farewell along with his first profession victory for McLaren.

Scott McLaughlin of Group Penske certified second for an all-Chevrolet entrance row. Christian Lundgaard certified third for Rahal Letterman Lanigan and his lap at 1:06.4610 in an earlier qualifying spherical broke the observe document set 23 years in the past by Helio Castroneves.

Castroneves’ lap of 1:07.722 has held for greater than twenty years however lastly undone by a repave of the course that has made the asphalt extraordinarily quick.

FINAL RACES

The finale at Laguna Seca would be the final look for a number of drivers with their present groups.

Romain Grosjean and Devlin DeFrancesco are usually not returning to Andretti World subsequent 12 months, Malukas is leaving Dale Coyne Racing to drive for Arrow McLaren, Rosenqvist will change Simon Pagenaud at Meyer Shank Racing and Marcus Ericsson is leaving Chip Ganassi Racing.

Ericsson, who’s in his fourth season with Ganassi, received the Indianapolis 500 final 12 months and had been lobbying since for a greater contract. When nothing materialized from Ganassi, the Swede made the choice to drive for Andretti subsequent 12 months.

Ganassi stated the supply he lastly made to Ericsson — whereas too late — was the largest supply he is ever had a driver flip down.

“I need him to remain. He is a hard-working man. Who labored tougher after an Indy 500 win than he did? We favored him. We wished to maintain him,” Ganassi stated. “The most important factor going towards him, he had everybody telling him he was the No. 3 driver, and he wasn’t. He wasn’t the No. 3 driver. However when you may have teammates like (Scott) Dixon and (Alex) Palou, and I feel he felt some stress about that, and he may very well be a star on a number of different groups, and he in all probability shall be. I am sorry to see him go.”

Ganassi stated he needed to land sponsorship for Ericsson earlier than he might make him a suggestion on an extension.

“I attempted to maintain him, consider me,” Ganassi stated. “I by no means gave someone such a bigger supply that they declined. That is a primary. I did not have the cash when he wished an enormous supply again in February or March or one thing, and he was getting different folks calling him.

“And I am like, ‘I need to maintain you. I am engaged on it.’ However I did not have it then. After I lastly had it, it was too late. It is that easy. I am not ready to be giving drivers affords to be properly paid with out having a sponsor on a automobile.”

Ericsson stated he is parting on good phrases with the group that helped him revive his profession. He flamed out after 5 winless Method One seasons, moved to IndyCar for one mediocre season with Arrow McLaren, after which landed at Ganassi in 2020. He is received 4 races since becoming a member of Ganassi.

“I am very grateful for Chip and everybody at Chip Ganassi Racing for the chance there. I’ve had 4 superb years along with them and we received the largest race on the earth, so we finish on good phrases,” Ericsson stated. “I used to be fairly clear I wished to have a suggestion for a very long time. He gave me a suggestion, however I had already kind of made up my thoughts then. With that stated, I am tremendous enthusiastic about that new chapter that I am about to start out subsequent 12 months. I feel that is going to be nice for me. I feel it may be a terrific match.”

Ericsson shall be changed by Linus Lundqvist, one other Swede, after Lundqvist spent nearly this whole 12 months sidelined when his Indy Lights championship final season did not land him an IndyCar journey.

Regardless of not racing many of the 12 months, Ganassi stated Lundqvist was at all times on their radar after which impressed the group when he was quick at Nashville and Indianapolis because the harm alternative for Simon Pagenaud.

“We did not have a spot for him. I get calls from a number of drivers, and I’ve to inform them we do not have spots,” Ganassi stated. “He stayed on our radar, not due to his tenaciousness, and simply due to his efficiency. There are a number of drivers that deserve rides on the high stage of the game in any collection.”