Linus Lundqvist returned to Victory Lane with a dominant wet-weather display to clinch a storming victory in Sunday’s Indy Lights finale at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course…
Lundqvist set a blistering pace on a rain-hit last day of 2021 competition, taking his third win of a successful rookie campaign in the INDYCAR feeder series.
In arguably one of the most commanding performances of the year, Lundqvist overcame highly treacherous conditions to win the last race of the season by over ten seconds from title contender David Malukas, and well over a minute ahead of newly-crowned 2021 champion Kyle Kirkwood back in fifth.
“What an incredible day,” says Linus Lundqvist. “My goal this weekend was to win one more race this season, but to do it the way we did is just something else. It’s always difficult in these conditions as you need to look after the tyres and stop them from overheating, but we were able to control it fairly well from the front. It’s the perfect end to the season and I couldn’t be happier right now!”
The victory marked a radical turnaround in fortune for Lundqvist, coming just a day after the Swede suffered an engine issue in first qualifying and was left battling his way up to sixth from the back of the grid in Saturday’s Race 1.
Adding to the success, Lundqvist’s team – Global Racing Group with HMD Motorsports – also wraps up the 2021 teams’ championship ahead of season-long rivals Andretti Autosport.
“I really want to thank the team for all the hard work they’ve put in throughout this season,” Linus Lundqvist acknowledges. “This weekend alone, they’ve performed an engine change under huge time pressure, getting my car back in shape for Race 1, and ensured we’ve had a winning package here today. They absolutely deserve the teams’ title and I’m proud to have played my part contributing to it.”
Linus Lundqvist sums up his rookie Indy Lights campaign with a CV reading three race wins, 11 podiums, three pole positions and two fastest laps. Already cemented at the previous round at Laguna Seca, he ends the season third in the overall standings, as the top non-American.
The 22-year-old bookends the campaign with victories in the first as well as last race of the season, and has also stood atop the podium at the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway along the way.
“All in all, it has obviously been a very good season,” Linus Lundqvist concludes. “We have won races, we have taken pole positions, and we have been up there more or less all the time. By nature I think I always want more, but at the end of the day, I have learned a lot this year. I am better equipped now than ever before to meet whatever the future holds for me.
“Last but not least, I want to say a big thank you to all of my sponsors, partners and supporters. Nothing of this would have been possible without them – thank you.”
Next up for Linus Lundqvist is a maiden INDYCAR test, awarded as part of the Indy Lights prize package, at the IMS road course on October 29.
RESULTS
Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires
Rd. 10 | Mid-Ohio (USA)
Race 1
1: Kyle Kirkwood (USA), 30 laps
2: David Malukas (USA), +6.436s
3: Robert Megennis (USA), +9.928s
4: Danial Frost (SGP), +12.317s
5: Sting Ray Robb (USA), +22.536s
—
6: Linus Lundqvist (SWE), +29.449s
View complete results
Race 2
1: Linus Lundqvist (SWE), 29 laps
2: David Malukas (USA), +10.619s
3: Benjamin Pedersen (DEN), +40.638s
4: Devlin DeFrancesco (CAN), +1:04.702s
5: Kyle Kirkwood (USA), +1:18.582s
View complete results
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires
Top 5 | After 20/20 races
1: Kyle Kirkwood (USA), 537 p.
2: David Malukas (USA), 524 p.
3: Linus Lundqvist (SWE), 449 p.
4: Benjamin Pedersen (DEN), 356 p.
5: Danial Frost (SGP), 338 p.
View complete standings
