Indianapolis 500: Felix Rosenqvist takes it after epic final lap delivers closest victory in history
Non-F1 NewsMonday, 25 May 2026 at 06:32
Felix Rosenqvist produced one of the greatest final laps in Indianapolis 500 history to snatch victory from David Malukas in the closest finish ever seen at the Brickyard, winning the 110th running of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” by just 0.0233s.
The Swede surged around the outside of the final corner on Lap 200 in his Meyer Shank Racing Honda and edged ahead of Malukas’ Team Penske Chevrolet in a breathtaking drag race to the Yard of Bricks in front of a crowd of 350,000 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Rosenqvist’s margin eclipsed the previous record set in 1992, when Al Unser Jr. beat Scott Goodyear by 0.043s.
“Unreal; I still don’t believe it,” a delighed Rosenqvist said after claiming his first Indianapolis 500 victory in his eighth attempt. It kind of worked out the right way when I got back to third, and then I just had to flat-out lap on the high line, and it stuck. It was just the coolest way you can finish and win an Indy 500.”
The dramatic finale capped a race filled with relentless action and strategy swings, with a record 70 lead changes across 200 laps, surpassing the previous benchmark of 68 set in 2013.
Rosenqvist became the third Swedish driver to win the Indianapolis 500 after Kenny Brack in 1999 and Marcus Ericsson in 2022. The 34 year old also delivered Meyer Shank Racing’s second ever IndyCar victory, both of them coming at Indianapolis following Helio Castroneves’ triumph in 2021.
A remarkable month for Rosenqvist
The victory completed a remarkable month for Rosenqvist and his family after the recent birth of his daughter Stella: “I really miss my wife and my newborn child, Stella. This whole month, becoming a dad and winning the ‘500’ … We joked about it in the beginning: ‘Maybe you’ll win the ‘500’ and have a baby.’ It’s just unreal.”
Scott McLaughlin completed the podium in third ahead of Pato O’Ward and Marcus Armstrong, with just 0.4360s separating the top five finishers after 500 miles of racing.
The final sprint was set up by a late caution after rookie Mick Schumacher brushed the wall on Lap 197, forcing a one lap shootout to decide the race.
Armstrong led the field to the white flag ahead of Malukas and Rosenqvist before Malukas powered into the lead entering Turn 1. Rosenqvist then committed to the outside line around the entire final lap, battling Armstrong side by side before drafting onto Malukas down the front straight.
With Malukas weaving to break the aerodynamic tow, Rosenqvist switched back high and narrowly avoided contact before nosing ahead metres before the finish line.
You literally don’t care if you’re going to crash
“I don’t know what else we could have done,” an emotional Malukas admitted. “We were the fastest car that whole race. I gave it 150 percent. I almost crashed this damn car every lap, and we still ended up with a P2. I just can’t believe it. I don’t know what else I can give.”
Rosenqvist later described the move as the lap he had imagined his entire career: “I’ve never been flat around the high line for more than one corner. To do it a whole lap on the outside, that was pretty cool. It’s kind of unheard of at Indy. That’s just how much you want it. You literally don’t care if you’re going to crash. You’re just going all in.”
Pole sitter Alex Palou led a race high 59 laps but finished seventh after the late cautions disrupted the fuel strategy battle that had looked set to decide the outcome before the final restart.
The Spaniard still leaves Indianapolis leading the IndyCar standings by 37 points over Malukas heading into next weekend’s Detroit Grand Prix, but the day belonged entirely to Rosenqvist after a final lap that instantly entered Indy 500 folklore.
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