Felix Rosenqvist was involved in a severe crash late in the 2024 IndyCar Detroit Grand Prix when Louis Foster’s car suffered a suspension failure. The incident, which took place with 16 laps remaining at Michigan’s street circuit, resulted in Rosenqvist being stretchered off the track, marking a dramatic and frightening moment in the race.
The Meyer Shank Racing driver was just ahead of Foster when Foster’s right front suspension failed approaching Turn 3. Foster’s car lost control and collided violently with the rear of Rosenqvist’s vehicle, sending both cars crashing heavily into the barriers. While Foster was able to exit his car unaided, Rosenqvist remained trapped briefly and was eventually carried away on a stretcher after complaining of leg pain over the radio.
Details of the collision and safety response
Following the crash, the AMR Safety Team quickly attended to both drivers. Rosenqvist’s distress was evident when he radioed his team, saying,
“Yeah, I’m fine. My fu**ing leg. Uuuggghhh!”
—Andy Merrick, citing team radio. The severity of the impact caused substantial damage to the barriers at Turn 3, prompting race control to halt the event with a red flag so repairs could be completed before resuming competition.
This incident was among several during the race, contributing to a highly disrupted event at Detroit. Earlier, drivers Callum Ilott and Alex Palou also crashed under challenging conditions. The high number of cautions affected nearly half the race’s 100-lap distance, reflecting the chaotic nature of the competition on the bumpy street circuit.
Louis Foster’s reaction to the crash and mechanical failure
Louis Foster shared his perspective on the events leading to the crash. The 21-year-old British rookie from Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing described losing suspension on braking before colliding with Rosenqvist. After evaluation at the circuit care center, Foster spoke candidly about the unexpected failure amid a promising race.
“We were having a really good race, we were strong, we were following Rasmussen on our strategy, leading on strategy at one point, but the suspension just killed us as we went on the brakes. I have never seen that happen before.” —Louis Foster, IndyCar driver
“You know, the Rahal boys did an amazing job all weekend. I don’t know how the heck that happens. This track is just ridiculously bumpy—that has to be something to do with it. That’s so uncommon. I don’t have a lot of words in my head right now. We’ll just chat with the boys and see. But super disappointing, and that’s about it.” —Louis Foster, IndyCar driver
Ongoing concerns and future outlook following the incident
Felix Rosenqvist has since been released from the medical center but will likely undergo further assessments due to the nature of the leg injury indicated during the crash. The collision underscores the treacherous conditions faced by drivers at the Detroit Grand Prix, where the combination of street circuit bumps and mechanical strain have led to multiple serious incidents in this edition.
The disruption caused by Rosenqvist’s crash and others contributed significantly to race strategy and driver safety considerations moving forward. The large number of cautions and repairs affected race rhythm and raised questions about equipment durability on the demanding Michigan track. Organizers and teams will likely prioritize investigations into suspension reliability and circuit conditions in the lead-up to future events at the Motown venue.
