Felix Rosenqvist won the Indianapolis 500 in the closest finish in the history of the race
Felix Rosenqvist is the winner of the 110th edition of the Indianapolis 500, after a finish that entered the history of one of the most famous motor racing events in the world. The Swedish driver of Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian on Sunday, May 24, 2026, crossed the finish line ahead of David Malukas with an advantage of just 0.0233 seconds, IndyCar announced. This broke the record for the closest finish in the history of the race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which had been held since 1992 by Al Unser Jr.'s victory over Scott Goodyear by a margin of 0.043 seconds.
Rosenqvist reached victory with a move in the final meters of the race, after he advanced around the outside of the track on the final lap and used the slipstream behind Malukas's car. According to the Associated Press report, Malukas led through the final turns and seemed to be on his way to his first victory at Indianapolis, but Rosenqvist kept the high line along the wall on the exit of Turn 4 and at great speed moved ahead of him just before the finish line. The race ended with a photo finish, and the margin was smaller than the length of a car.
For 34-year-old Rosenqvist, this is his first victory in the Indianapolis 500, the second victory of his career in the NTT IndyCar Series and his first victory on an oval track. IndyCar announced that Rosenqvist became the third Swedish driver to win this race, after Kenny Brack in 1999 and Marcus Ericsson in 2022. The victory carried extra weight for his team because Meyer Shank Racing had already once celebrated at Indianapolis, in 2021 with Helio Castroneves, and has now again won the most important race of the season.
The final lap decided the 500-mile race
The dramatic outcome began after a late stoppage and restart, which reduced the race to a one-lap showdown. The Associated Press states that the red flag was shown seven laps before the end, and another disruption of rhythm occurred after Mick Schumacher's contact with the wall in Turn 2, which opened the way for the final sprint. Marcus Armstrong, Rosenqvist's teammate, entered the final restart as the leader, but Malukas soon passed him and took control of the race.
At that moment Rosenqvist had to move forward from a position in which it did not seem that he had enough room to attack. Autosport reported that the Swede started the final duel from third place, then freed himself from the battle with Armstrong and moved into pursuit of Malukas. After the race, Armstrong said that he had a choice between lifting off the throttle and colliding with Rosenqvist, so he decided to yield. That moment allowed Rosenqvist to catch the right run for the final attack.
On the exit of Turn 4, Rosenqvist pulled the car toward the outside and headed for the finish on a line that carried great risk, but also maximum speed. IndyCar states in its official report that in the No. 60 SiriusXM Honda he managed to overtake Malukas's No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet precisely on the final straight. Malukas finished second, Scott McLaughlin third, Pato O'Ward fourth, and Marcus Armstrong fifth. According to IndyCar, only 0.4360 seconds separated the first five drivers at the finish, which further underlines how exceptional the finish was.
A record number of lead changes
The race was historic not only because of the final margin. IndyCar announced that 70 lead changes were recorded during the 200 laps, which is a new race record. The previous record was 68 changes and had been set in 2013. Such a figure shows that the order changed almost throughout the entire race, not only in the closing stages, so the 110th Indianapolis 500 was extremely open and tactically demanding.
The winner's average speed was 162.021 miles per hour, according to IndyCar's official report. That figure does not reflect only straight-line speed, but also the effect of stoppages, caution periods, strategy changes and late neutralizations. Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a 2.5-mile oval, and the 200-lap race requires a combination of speed, precision, endurance and composure in traffic. In such an environment, even a small mistake when entering a corner, coming out of the slipstream or choosing a line can decide the winner.
Rosenqvist had already shown during the month of May that he had the speed needed for a serious result. Indianapolis Motor Speedway announced that in the practice session known as Fast Friday he set a lap of 233.372 miles per hour and was the first driver that week to exceed 233 miles per hour. The same source stated that he also had the fastest simulated qualifying run of four laps at that time. Although practice speed does not guarantee success in the race, it showed that Meyer Shank Racing had a competitive package at Indianapolis.
Malukas lost victory in the final meters
David Malukas was the biggest loser of the historic finish, although he drove a race that brought him to the threshold of victory. The Associated Press states that after the finish Malukas was extremely disappointed because he believed he had the fastest car and that the race was his to win. For the Team Penske driver, second place had an additionally bitter taste because, according to the same report, he finished runner-up at the Indianapolis 500 for the second year in a row.
Team Penske nevertheless had a strong result, as Scott McLaughlin finished third. IndyCar states that Roger Penske's team had two drivers among the top three, but missed out on a record 21st Indianapolis 500 victory. The race therefore confirmed Penske's competitiveness, but also showed how much a finish on an oval track can change an outcome that just a few seconds earlier had seemed almost settled.
Pato O'Ward, the Arrow McLaren driver, was again close to the very top, finishing fourth. IndyCar points out that this was his fifth top-four finish in seven Indianapolis 500 starts, but without a victory. Such consistency confirms his speed and constant presence in the closing stages of the race, but at the same time reminds how difficult it is to turn a competitive performance into victory on a track where strategy, neutralizations and traffic often carry the same importance as pure speed.
Rosenqvist among Swedish winners of Indianapolis
Rosenqvist's victory also has an important place in Swedish motor racing history. After the race, IndyCar placed him alongside Kenny Brack and Marcus Ericsson, the only Swedish drivers who had won the Indianapolis 500 before him. Brack celebrated in 1999, Ericsson in 2022, and Rosenqvist in 2026, giving Sweden its third winner in a race often called one of the greatest sporting events in the United States.
For Rosenqvist, this victory is especially significant also because of personal circumstances. IndyCar announced that he and his wife Emille welcomed their first child, daughter Stella, on May 4, and after the race the driver spoke about a month in which he became a father and won the Indianapolis 500. The Associated Press reported that his wife and newborn daughter were not at the track, but that Rosenqvist spoke with his family after the race. In sporting terms, the victory brought him the greatest moment of his career; in personal terms, it arrived in a month that had already been exceptional for him.
In previous years at Indianapolis, Rosenqvist had been close, but without the final breakthrough. The Associated Press states that in his last several appearances he had strong qualifying results and twice finished fourth, including in 2025, while his other two appearances ended far from the top. Such background gives the victory an additional layer because it was not a sudden success without prior signs, but a result that came after several seasons in which he showed speed but did not manage to combine all the elements needed for triumph.
A race with stoppages, rain and incidents
According to the Associated Press, race day was marked by stoppages, changing conditions and several incidents. One stop lasted around 12 minutes because of rain, and another followed after rookie Caio Collet hit the wall hard eight laps before the end. Such interruptions change the rhythm of drivers and teams, because continuity is lost, tires and engines cool, and fuel strategy and track position gain a new dimension.
The late incident involving Mick Schumacher further opened up the race and led to the final one-lap showdown. On oval tracks, such restarts carry special risk because the cars gather in a dense pack, and the difference in reaction, slipstream and choice of line can change the order in a few seconds. Rosenqvist took advantage precisely in such circumstances of an opportunity he had not had during the longer part of the finish, while Malukas lost an advantage that had seemed sufficient.
The race was also demanding for Katherine Legge, whose attempt to compete in a combination of the Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 ended early. The Associated Press states that her Indianapolis run ended after 17 laps, when she could not avoid Ryan Hunter-Reay's car spinning on the track. Legge was examined at the track medical center and released, and according to the same report she planned to travel to Charlotte for the evening race.
Alex Palou retained the points lead
Although he did not finish on the podium, Alex Palou remained an important actor in the race. The Associated Press states that the reigning Indianapolis winner and pole position winner led the most laps, 59 of them, and recorded the most on-track passes, 60 in total. He finished seventh, and according to the same report thereby increased his lead in the overall standings to 37 points, although after the race he was given a five-point penalty because of a technical irregularity found during inspection.
IndyCar, according to the Associated Press report, stated that the irregularity was the result of an assembly error, not an intentional modification. Such wording is important because it distinguishes a technical breach from an intentional attempt to gain an advantage. Despite the penalty, Palou remained in a strong position in the championship, and the race at Indianapolis showed that even a driver who dominates parts of the race can remain without victory if the finish develops in a direction that better suits his rivals.
The next race of the series, according to the Associated Press, is held in Detroit. After Indianapolis, the championship returns to a different type of track, which will bring teams a new technical and tactical test. Rosenqvist heads to Detroit with the greatest victory of his career, Malukas with a second place that will be analyzed for a long time, and Palou with a points lead that confirms that the fight for the title remains open beyond the spectacle in Indianapolis.
A victory that changes the season and the career
The Indianapolis 500 has a special place in American and world motor racing because victory in that race often goes beyond the framework of a single season. Drivers return to the track for years trying to find the ideal combination of speed, patience and luck, and in 2026 Rosenqvist managed to do so precisely in a race decided by hundredths and the final meters. His pass around the outside on the exit of Turn 4 became the moment by which the 110th edition of the race will be remembered.
For Meyer Shank Racing, this is confirmation that the victory from 2021 was not an isolated success. The team had two drivers among the top five in the finish, and Armstrong's role on the final lap indirectly influenced the outcome because his maneuver opened space for Rosenqvist. In a race that had a record number of lead changes, such details often decide more than the sheer speed of the car.
Malukas lost victory in one of the most painful possible scenarios, but he confirmed that he belongs among drivers capable of fighting for the biggest trophies. Rosenqvist, on the other hand, used the only opportunity that opened up for him at the very end and turned it into a historic result. According to IndyCar's official data, 0.0233 seconds is now the new benchmark for the closest victory in the history of the Indianapolis 500.
Sources:
- IndyCar – official report on Felix Rosenqvist's victory, the race result, the margin at the finish, the record in lead changes and the order of the top five drivers (link)
- Associated Press – race report, description of the final lap, drivers' statements, race stoppages, information on Palou, Legge and the continuation of the season (link)
- Indianapolis Motor Speedway – data on Rosenqvist's performance in the Fast Friday practice session and his speed of 233.372 miles per hour (link)
- Autosport – report on the race finish, Rosenqvist's progress from third to first place and the order of the leading drivers (link)