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With the sold-out crowd of more than 350,000 race fans cheering in suspense, Felix Rosenqvist made a stunning last second pass on race leader David Malukas to capture the record-setting 2026 Indianapolis 500 by the closest (0.0233 of a second) margin of victory in Indianapolis Motor Speedway history.
In the epic conclusion to the 110th running of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, Rosenqvist battled on the unpredictable high line around the historic 2.5 -mile oval in his desperate effort to win the exciting one-lap shootout to determine the winner of the 110th Indianapolis 500. The 34-year-old Swedish veteran, saw his lead and almost certain victory snatched away by a late-race caution on Lap 192.
Rookie Caio Collet lost control and pounded the turn two wall in a scary ball of flames bringing out the caution flag and bunching up the field behind the pace car on Lap 192. When the green flag resumed the thrilling scramble to win the 2026 Indy 500 on lap 196, Marcus Armstrong jumped past Rosenqvist and into his first lead of the day.
Armstrong’s lead lasted only seconds when a charging Malukas, on much fresher tires, swept by and pulled away in his fast No. 12 Team Penske machine. Malukas benefited from the late-race cautions to make up an insurmountable deficit to race leader Rosenqvist whose fuel mileage gamble left him on much older tires and easily pulled away.
It appeared Malukas was now poised to win his first Indy 500 as he pulled away from the struggling cars of Rosenqvist, Pato O’Ward and Armstrong. But, Malukas too would see his nice lead erased when rookie Mick Schumacher brushed the turn four wall on Lap 197 bringing out the seventh and final caution flag.
This final caution period consumed two laps (197-198), setting up the chaotic one-lap shootout that gave the third-place Rosenqvist his chance to pull off his seemingly miracle and record-setting pass on Malukas to win the historic 2026 Indianapolis 500.
An elated Rosenqvist commented on his charge to win the 2026 Indy 500 saying, "Unreal. I still don’t believe it! It kind of worked out the right way when I got back to third place…I just had to go flat-out on the high line, and it stuck…It was the coolest way you can finish and win an Indy 500. I’ve never had a more exciting finish, but to have it here (at IMS) makes it three times more special. I think it was the momentum I had and I wasn’t going to lose it. It just worked out perfect. David (Malukas) was just far enough ahead that I got a little tow (to pass). I would hate to be in the lead on the last (lap) restart.”
The 110th Indy 500 featured the closest margin of victory of 0.0233 of a second in IMS history, and a record setting 70 lead changes throughout the scintillating 200 laps. Ironically, for Rosenqvist, the record setting 70th lead change occurred just a couple of feet from the famous yard of bricks as he edged Malukas to earn his first Indy 500 victory.
An utterly dejected and tearful Malukas commented on losing the closest Indy 500 in history, "We had the fastest car the whole race. I gave it 150%. I almost crashed the damn car every lap and still ended up with a P-2. I don’t know what else we could have done.”
Malukas’ Penske teammate Scott McLaughlin finished a strong third charging all the way from 10th place on the last lap restart to nip fourth-place Pato O’Ward at the finish line. O’Ward’s fourth-place finish was his fifth career top four finishes in his seven Indy 500 starts. Marcus Armstrong, teammate of winner Rosenqvist, rounded out the top five finishers for Meyer-Shank Racing.
Indy 500 pole sitter Alex Palou led a race-high 59 laps, but late race chaos prevented the hard-driving, four-time NTT IndyCar champion from winning his second straight Indy 500 and resulted in a disappointing seventh-place finish.
The 110th thrilling running of the Indianapolis 500 saw one of the most competitive, dramatic and memorable races in Indianapolis Motor Speedway history…certainly any true race fan has already ordered their tickets to the 111th running of Greatest Spectacle in Racing.
The NTT IndyCar teams head to the streets of Detroit for next Sunday’s Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix.
Continue reading...
In the epic conclusion to the 110th running of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, Rosenqvist battled on the unpredictable high line around the historic 2.5 -mile oval in his desperate effort to win the exciting one-lap shootout to determine the winner of the 110th Indianapolis 500. The 34-year-old Swedish veteran, saw his lead and almost certain victory snatched away by a late-race caution on Lap 192.
Rookie Caio Collet lost control and pounded the turn two wall in a scary ball of flames bringing out the caution flag and bunching up the field behind the pace car on Lap 192. When the green flag resumed the thrilling scramble to win the 2026 Indy 500 on lap 196, Marcus Armstrong jumped past Rosenqvist and into his first lead of the day.
Armstrong’s lead lasted only seconds when a charging Malukas, on much fresher tires, swept by and pulled away in his fast No. 12 Team Penske machine. Malukas benefited from the late-race cautions to make up an insurmountable deficit to race leader Rosenqvist whose fuel mileage gamble left him on much older tires and easily pulled away.
It appeared Malukas was now poised to win his first Indy 500 as he pulled away from the struggling cars of Rosenqvist, Pato O’Ward and Armstrong. But, Malukas too would see his nice lead erased when rookie Mick Schumacher brushed the turn four wall on Lap 197 bringing out the seventh and final caution flag.
This final caution period consumed two laps (197-198), setting up the chaotic one-lap shootout that gave the third-place Rosenqvist his chance to pull off his seemingly miracle and record-setting pass on Malukas to win the historic 2026 Indianapolis 500.
An elated Rosenqvist commented on his charge to win the 2026 Indy 500 saying, "Unreal. I still don’t believe it! It kind of worked out the right way when I got back to third place…I just had to go flat-out on the high line, and it stuck…It was the coolest way you can finish and win an Indy 500. I’ve never had a more exciting finish, but to have it here (at IMS) makes it three times more special. I think it was the momentum I had and I wasn’t going to lose it. It just worked out perfect. David (Malukas) was just far enough ahead that I got a little tow (to pass). I would hate to be in the lead on the last (lap) restart.”
The 110th Indy 500 featured the closest margin of victory of 0.0233 of a second in IMS history, and a record setting 70 lead changes throughout the scintillating 200 laps. Ironically, for Rosenqvist, the record setting 70th lead change occurred just a couple of feet from the famous yard of bricks as he edged Malukas to earn his first Indy 500 victory.
An utterly dejected and tearful Malukas commented on losing the closest Indy 500 in history, "We had the fastest car the whole race. I gave it 150%. I almost crashed the damn car every lap and still ended up with a P-2. I don’t know what else we could have done.”
Malukas’ Penske teammate Scott McLaughlin finished a strong third charging all the way from 10th place on the last lap restart to nip fourth-place Pato O’Ward at the finish line. O’Ward’s fourth-place finish was his fifth career top four finishes in his seven Indy 500 starts. Marcus Armstrong, teammate of winner Rosenqvist, rounded out the top five finishers for Meyer-Shank Racing.
Indy 500 pole sitter Alex Palou led a race-high 59 laps, but late race chaos prevented the hard-driving, four-time NTT IndyCar champion from winning his second straight Indy 500 and resulted in a disappointing seventh-place finish.
The 110th thrilling running of the Indianapolis 500 saw one of the most competitive, dramatic and memorable races in Indianapolis Motor Speedway history…certainly any true race fan has already ordered their tickets to the 111th running of Greatest Spectacle in Racing.
The NTT IndyCar teams head to the streets of Detroit for next Sunday’s Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix.
Continue reading...
