Felix Rosenqvist claimed final bragging rights ahead of qualifying for this weekend’s NTT IndyCar Series finale at Laguna Seca after going fastest in the third practice session on Saturday.

Rosenqvist’s 1m10.4065s put him almost 0.2s clear of Josef Newgarden, with teammates Will Power and Simon Pagenaud falling in behind for a Penske 2-3-4.

The last spot in the top five belonged to newly confirmed RLL returnee Takuma Sato, who also provided the main moment of drama when he went off in a spray of cloud and gravel, causing some minor damage to his front wing.

He was hardly alone in struggling to keep the car on the track: the slippery surface has been one of the defining themes of the weekend so far, and Alexander Rossi and James Hinchcliffe were among those to kick up some stones during the morning.

The sharp turn at pit entry, which was responsible for two red flags yesterday, also continued to prove problematic, this time almost trapping Newgarden, although the points leader was able to maneuver himself away from the tires and safely into pitlane.

Elsewhere, Sebastien Bourdais returned to action after sitting out Friday evening’s warm-up session with a neck complaint. If he was still in discomfort he hid it well, squeezing in a field-high 22 laps during the 45-minute session.

RESULTS

UP NEXT: Qualifying at 4:30 p.m. ET