Felix Rosenqvist may have left the 2026 IndyCar race at the Portland GP with a podium finish in P2, but the Meyer Shank Racing driver admitted there were a few areas where he and his team could have executed better.
Rosenqvist finished second to Alex Palou in Sunday’s OnlyBulls Grand Prix of Portland, putting together a competitive race but falling short of the victory. From pole, he led the first 31 laps, that was until Alex Palou overcut him.
Rosenqvist praises Palou’s race at IndyCar Portland GP
Speaking to Pit Debrief and other media oultets in the post-race press conference, the Swede was quick to give credit to the Spaniard for his performance.
“He just drove better, to be honest,” Rosenqvist said. “Not a lot quicker, but he was a little bit quicker, especially on the blacks.”
One of the biggest differences between the two drivers came during the opening stint; Palou extended his first stint by an additional lap, a decision that caught Rosenqvist and his team off guard. It allowed the Spaniard to overcut and gain a net P1 thanks to a lap on much lighter fuel.
“That first stint he outsmarted us, did one lap longer,” Rosenqvist said. “I didn’t know he did that, so maybe we need to work on communication.”
Other obstacles in Rosenqvist’s way
The 60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda also lost additional time during a pit stop, having become “twisted up” due to proximity to the crew of the 47 Rahal Letterman Lanigan car of Mick Schumacher.
While this small mistake cost the team some time, the Swede was able to still hold 2nd place from that point onward. He faced pressure from Will Power in the early part of the final stint, until the Andretti driver started to struggle with deg on softs.
Rather than pointing to one moment that cost the car, which sits in 6th place in the championship, the win, Rosenqvist viewed the result as a combination of Palou having a stronger overall race and his own team having opportunities to improve.
“I don’t think I would have won the race anyway,” the Swede said.
That assessment reflected the competitive nature of the race. Rosenqvist remained within striking distance as the third stint closed, but Palou was able to control the race overall.
For Rosenqvist, the Portland podium was another positive result in a season that has already delivered the biggest victory of his career.
After earning his place in IndyCar history with a victory at the Indianapolis 500 earlier this year, Rosenqvist continues to add strong finishes to his 2026 campaign. His second-place result at Portland gives Meyer Shank Racing another podium while also providing the team with several areas to learn from ahead of the next round.
Where will Rosenqvist go from here?
Rosenqvist will finish the remaining 5 races of the 2026 IndyCar season with Meyer Shank Racing, before switching teams and returning to Arrow McLaren for the 2027 IndyCar season.
Round 14 of the IndyCar season will occur this weekend, August 14th-16th with the first Grand Prix of Markham, a new road course replacing the Grand Prix of Toronto.
