Felix Rosenqvist and David Malukas went to the Yard of Bricks side by side and the Swede got there first — by just 0.0233 seconds. Closest finish in Indianapolis 500 history, full stop. The previous record from 1992 just got obliterated.
He ran it right against the wall on the high line out of Turn 4 on the final lap, carried the momentum, and edged past Malukas’ Penske. Pure balls and car control. “It stuck,” he said afterwards, still sounding like he couldn’t believe it. Mate, none of us can.
This race had everything. Seventy lead changes — a new record. Drafting chess for 200 laps, fuel strategy that split the field, two late cautions, a red flag, and then one green-white-checker that delivered pure theatre. Meyer Shank Racing now has two Indy 500 wins in five years. Not bad for a team that used to feel like the friendly underdog.
The finish that will be replayed forever
Armstrong led onto the last lap after the restart, but Malukas cleared him into Turn 1 and looked like he was gone. Rosenqvist, running third, went full send on the high side, cleared his teammate, and set after the leader. Malukas tried the classic “move to break the tow” dance — low then middle — but Felix switched back and got the run.
Half a car length at the stripe. Insane.
Malukas was gutted. You could hear it in his voice — choking back tears, saying they were the fastest car all day and he gave 150%. He’s not wrong. Penske had pace, but Rosenqvist timed the final run perfectly and refused to lift. That high-line exit was the difference between immortality and “so close.”
The bigger picture:
Rosenqvist’s month has been unreal. New daughter Stella born on May 4, now this. Emotional doesn’t begin to cover it. He’s the third Swede to win the 500 after Bräck and Ericsson — that Scandinavian pipeline to Indy is no longer a footnote.
Strategy-wise, the fuel window calls in the final stint were fascinating. Rosenqvist and O’Ward short-pitted relatively late to try and make it on one stop, while Malukas, McLaughlin and Palou were on the longer-run group. The red flag after Collet’s crash completely flipped the script — handed the chasers a free tow and set up the one-lap shootout.
Without that caution, Rosenqvist probably cruises it. With it, we got chaos. That’s Indy for you.
Pato O’Ward again left empty-handed in fourth — five top-fours in seven attempts and still no ring. Brutal. McLaughlin third for Penske, Armstrong fifth. The top five covered by less than half a second. That’s not a race, that’s a knife fight.
For the punters watching the markets next time out:
Rosenqvist was never the biggest price pre-race, but Meyer Shank at Indy has now proven it’s no fluke. Malukas looked like the value all month and came agonisingly close — he’ll be dangerous again soon. Palou led the most laps but finished seventh; the points lead is still his, but the street circuit in Detroit will be next.
Right now though? Let the man enjoy it.
Felix Rosenqvist is an Indianapolis 500 champion, by the smallest margin imaginable, in one of the best races the Brickyard has ever seen. Sometimes the racing gods get it exactly right.