Rossi rounds the iconic fountain at turn 3. Photo: Kevin Dejewski
Alexander Rossi will be starting the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach from the fifth position, but he felt that he could easily have been starting alongside his team-mate on the front row.
Near the end of the final Fast Six qualifying session, Romain Grosjean stuck his car into the tire barrier, which brought out a red flag.
Rossi was on a fast lap at the time, and had to abandon his best chance at challenging Colton Herta for one of the top positions.
“Yeah, I think it was a good day for the team obviously,” said Rossi after qualifying. “With Colton on pole, that’s great for Andretti Autosport. We’ve been strong all weekend.
“I think it was a little bit of a missed opportunity to be fifth instead of potentially second or third with that red flag. Such is life, such is IndyCar racing.
“Like I said, I think the car is really good, so looking forward to it.”
Rossi had been second in each of the first two rounds of qualifying, so he certainly has the pace to make his way to the front on Sunday.
That pace has given the California native confidence leading into his 100th IndyCar, and he’s looking forward to utilizing the grippy track to his advantage.
“We knew today was going to be pretty spectacular from a time standpoint,” Rossi continued. “I think Firestone continually develops the tire. That’s part of it
“Ultimately it’s a lot of fun. It’s awesome out there some of the speeds you can carry even through the fountain and stuff is pretty spectacular. I’m loving it. I think it’s going to be a great race and a good show for everyone tomorrow.”
Keyword: Rossi rues ‘missed opportunity’ for front row start