NTT INDYCAR SERIES: 110TH RUNNING OF THE INDIANAPOLIS 500

May 15, 2026

Felix Rosenqvist

Alex Rossi

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Felix Rosenqvist in the No. 60 Honda for Meyer Shank Racing. Best qualifying position. Was third back in 2023. Fastest here on Fast Friday. 233.36 fastest no-tow today.

Alexander Rossi in the No. 20 Java House Chevy for ECR. Set to qualify for his 11th 500 this weekend. Second quick today. Sixth on the no-tow.

Felix, I'm call this Fast Fro-Day, by the way, with the result.

FELIX ROSENQVIST: Very nice.

THE MODERATOR: There you go. How good is the car?

FELIX ROSENQVIST: Pretty good. We started pretty slow, to be honest. It's kind of rare you are able to crawl out of a hole like that. I think our first run was, like, a 230-something. Yeah, and then we just found basically 3 miles per hour, so That was kind of cool.

Yeah, car felt really good. Sometimes that happens.

Once you find a little speed, it kind of comes because the gear makes sense, and it just kind of starts flowing, but yeah, balance does really good.

I haven't really study the no-tow, so I thought we were pretty far up, but yeah, never Been fastest on a Fast Fro-Day before. It's a first.

THE MODERATOR: There you go. It's catching on. Sixth fastest on the no-tow.

Alex, for you, your thoughts on the day today?

You guys ready to go for the weekend?

ALEX ROSSI: Yeah, it will depend on what we get weather-wise, right? That's the name of the game around here.

We've run a lot this week. We must have done the most laps because I can promise you we are behind everyone on the amount of tires we have, but that's okay.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. You feel with over your engine?

ALEX ROSSI: I never felt bad with my engine. We didn't change it, because DOP. We changed it because the hybrid broke on Saturday.

Q. We'll just leave it at that.

ALEX ROSSI: Yep.

Q. Felix, how are you helping? You've had a whirlwind with the baby born and right into it.

FELIX ROSENQVIST: Oh, yeah.

Q. Right into the Grand Prix and then slow start to this week. Now you're fastest on Fast Fro-Day.

FELIX ROSENQVIST: Yeah, kind of copied Alex from last year. I think there was just a couple of dates difference there with the birth.

Yeah, I've kind of gone through every emotion possible in the last two weeks. I've definitely widened my span of possible emotions. I'm Scandinavian as well, so I don't really have many emotions to start with.

No, it's cool. It's kind of hard to explain. It becomes, like, the number one coolest thing you've ever done, and everything kind of pales in comparison.

Yeah, I feel like as a driver it kind of makes you a bit calmer, a bit more confident maybe. Yeah, a little less worried about things. You kind of go out and drive, which yeah, you never really know how it's going to affect you in your professional life until you're out there doing it.

So, yeah, seems like the speed hasn't gone away at least.

Q. The all-important question: How your four-lap sims?

ALEX ROSSI: Pretty good from our side. I think we -- our biggest issue last year in qualifying was we had quite a bit of fall-off from one to four, and that was a big focus to try and figure that out without giving up too much of the pop on the first lap or two. So we were pretty content with how that went.

It's obviously going to be condition-dependent and choosing the right package for those conditions, but that's what much smarter people other than me, that's what they are for. I can't even put a sentence today, so Lord knows I couldn't choose a downforce level.

Yeah, I think we're in a good spot on the 20 side.

FELIX ROSENQVIST: Pretty good. The last lap on my last run I had I think it was the 2 car came out. So the last lap that I ran was definitely a tow, but until that I think I had, like, a 12-second or 14-second tow, something. I've seen not too much cheating with the tow.

Yeah, I was kind of surprised, to be honest, but the car handled really well. Not too much drop-off. Felt like the fourth lap -- if you can stay flat on the fourth lap with a tow, you probably would be okay without a tow.

Yeah, excited for tomorrow. I didn't really go into today thinking we're going to at least go into the quallie thinking we're going to have a chance on pole, but yeah, now I'm kind of hungry for it.

Q. With the weather conditions being so iffy, is it just going to be a matter of getting after it?

FELIX ROSENQVIST: Yeah, I guess the draw is actually going to be kind of important. I don't think you want to go into Sunday, if that were to happen. It looks pretty hot and rough and rainy on Sunday as well. So I hope we get a nice and early draw here in a couple of minutes and go from there.

Q. (Off microphone.)

FELIX ROSENQVIST: I don't know. I think it's one of the Meyers, Jay Meyers' family, so...

ALEX ROSSI: I believe it's a Java House peep, but...

Q. (Off microphone.)

ALEX ROSSI: There are lots of them.

FELIX ROSENQVIST: Someone at a Java House.

ALEX ROSSI: Someone from Java House.

Q. You talked about how you've run the most laps this week, Alex. Why is that? What has been the emphasis of being out there so much?

ALEX ROSSI: Really just because it's been such a variance in conditions, so really trying to put ourselves in all of the different scenarios. Race running in the hot. Q-sims in the hot. Race running in the cold. Q-sims in the cold.

Like, you look at Sunday's weather for a week from race day, and like, it looks potentially kind of cool and overcast, but earlier in the week it was looking pretty warm. It's just one of those months in Indianapolis where, you know, you get two or three days of consistency, and then it flips on its head.

So just to be out there running so that you know what to expect when it comes, and you're not surprised by anything.

Q. For both of you, of course, we'll know more in the morning, but what is the mindset knowing you may not even have a second attempt up there tomorrow for qualifying?

FELIX ROSENQVIST: Just execution. You know, nailing your marks. Maybe not making it too complicated on the first run. Now with the hybrid you can go pretty advanced if you want that. I've seen some -- I've been looking at the screens, and it seems like some drivers maybe have messed it up a little bit.

Yeah, I think you try to keep it simple, nail your line. That's probably going to be worth more than the hybrid anyways. Yeah, hopefully it's good enough. Otherwise, you're going to be a worried man.

ALEX ROSSI: Or woman.

FELIX ROSENQVIST: Or woman.

Q. Felix, obviously running today, you're fastest. How much of a baseline does that give you going into tomorrow?

FELIX ROSENQVIST: Pretty good hopefully. I think it's going to be hotter tomorrow. I haven't really looked at the weather too much, but as Alex said, you kind of try to be out there in different conditions through the week, and hopefully you have an idea what you need to change, if it would be, like, 82 degrees when we run.

I feel like that's what we've been really good here in the past. You know, since I came out to Meyer Shank Racing, nailing that. The weather offset has been one of our strengths, so I feel like we have a good program for being ready for that, but yeah, weather is always tricky.

The other day when we practiced there, the car just felt -- some corners feel awful when it's a certain wind direction or a temperature window. So, yeah, we'll see. I think we're ready for it, though.

Q. Felix, you mentioned you won early draw tomorrow on the basis that you don't like to go on Sunday in case it's too hot. Is there a drawback for going too early based on the fact the rain could kind of really affect conditions and that could be a massive unknown and you want to have that prior information before you go out on track?

FELIX ROSENQVIST: I think earlier is always good here. If I got the first draw, I would be happy, but I think there's a situation where they have to rerun it, right? They scrap everything.

THE MODERATOR: Yeah, you have to be able to go through the line.

FELIX ROSENQVIST: Then they do the same draw, okay.

ALEX ROSSI: Still early is good.

FELIX ROSENQVIST: Early is always good, yeah.

THE MODERATOR: Until it's not.

FELIX ROSENQVIST: Maybe not always.

ALEX ROSSI: Talking about casino night, Jenna.

THE MODERATOR: And with that, we will cut you loose to enjoy casino night and the draw as well. Happy Fast Fro-Day.