IndyCar: Rookie class of 2019 shines in Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg

While Josef Newgarden won the first race of the 2019 IndyCar season, the rookie class did not disappoint during the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

The 2019 IndyCar season is officially underway following the Firestone Grand Prix at St. Petersburg, which featured a Team Penske vs. Chip Ganassi Racing competition at the front of the field involving Team Penske teammates Josef Newgarden and Will Power and Chip Ganassi Racing teammates Scott Dixon and Felix Rosenqvist.

While Newgarden was busy proving why Team Penske are still dominant in American open-wheel racing, the drivers in the 2019 rookie class were busy having impressive outings, which only gives more optimism about where the sport is heading.

The award for the rookie champion of the Firestone Grand Prix at St. Petersburg undoubtedly goes to Rosenqvist, who impressed from the get-go by beating reigning series champion and teammate Scott Dixon and qualifying in third place in his #9 Honda.

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Come race day, many experts expected the 27-year-old Swede to hold position and get acclimated to the 14-turn, 1.8-mile (2.897-kilometer) temporary street circuit. But Rosenqvist had other ideas, as he jumped eventual race winner Newgarden into turn one to take second place on the race’s opening lap before taking the lead from Power several laps later.

The race came down to pit strategy, which placed Newgarden, Dixon and Power ahead of the bold Rosenqvist. While he only walked away with a fourth place finish, the fact that he recorded a top five finish and led 31 of the 110 laps in his IndyCar debut cannot be undervalued.

The next highest finishing rookie was Colton Herta, who finished in eighth place in his in his #88 Harding Steinbrenner Racing Honda after qualifying in 11th as opposed to the top six due to the penalty that he was issued for impeding the lap of Carlin’s Charlie Kimball. This strong showing bodes well for the pairing of young team and driver, as Herta proved that he had the speed to make it into the Firestone Fast Six, and he backed that up with a strong race.

The third highest finishing rookie and the biggest mover of the race was Dale Coyne Racing’s Santino Ferrucci, who qualified in a dismal 23rd place in his #19 Honda after bringing out a red flag in the qualifying session but was able to work his way up through the field and finish in ninth. He outlasted teammate Sebastien Bourdais, who failed to finish the race as a result of a turbo failure.

While he is no stranger to IndyCar but still holds the title of “rookie” according to IndyCar’s Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings, Jack Harvey was able to record a career-high 10th place finish in his #60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda after qualifying in a career-high seventh.

Ben Hanley qualified his #81 DragonSpeed Chevrolet in a surprising 12th place but slowly fell to the back of the pack to finish the race in 18th, which was last among the drivers who finished the race.

While finishing so far outside of the top 10 can be regrettable, this result must be taken with a grain of salt, as this temporary street circuit in St. Petersburg, Florida can be very tricky for young, single-car teams with rookie drivers as well as less setup and strategy knowledge.

Marcus Ericsson had a race to forget, as he struggled throughout the weekend. He qualified his #7 Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda in 18th place and was stuck with mechanical gremlins that resulted in a 20th place finish for him. He will be looking forward to the next race at Circuit of the Americas, where his Formula 1 experience should help him in terms of finding pace.

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If the season opener serves as any indication as of how the 2019 IndyCar rookie class will perform, the future looks bright. The next race on the 17-race 2019 schedule is the season’s second race, and it is set to take place at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. This race, the IndyCar Classic, is scheduled to take place on Sunday, March 24, and it is set to be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network beginning at 1:00 p.m. ET. This race is set to mark the first time that IndyCar competed at the track that serves as the host for Formula 1’s United States Grand Prix.