A Historic Finish in the Indianapolis 500
Felix Rosenqvist made history by winning the closest Indianapolis 500 in its storied history, edging out David Malukas by a margin of just 0.0233 seconds on Monday (AEST). The race was a thrilling display of skill, strategy, and sheer determination, with Rosenqvist securing victory in one of the most dramatic finishes ever seen at the iconic Brickyard.
Malukas, an American driver, appeared to be in a strong position to claim victory after passing race leader Marcus Armstrong of New Zealand off the final restart with one lap remaining. However, Rosenqvist, driving for Meyer Shank Racing, managed to find the extra power needed to pull away from Armstrong and make a daring outside pass in the final 15 metres. This decisive move sealed his place in the record books.
The previous closest finish in the race was in 1992 when Al Unser Jr. beat Scott Goodyear by 0.043 seconds. Rosenqvist, who had been fast all month, described the win as a culmination of years of effort. “The last five years I’ve been in the front and I’ve had a good enough car to probably win it, but today there was just something more,” he said. “It was an absolute rocket this month and year; it was still there in the race.”
This victory marks Rosenqvist’s second career win in 120 IndyCar races and comes shortly after the birth of his first child. His last win was in 2020 at Road America, making this his first win on an oval track. He joins an elite group of Swedes, including Kenny Brack and Marcus Ericsson, who have won the Indianapolis 500.
A Race Full of Drama
The wild finish began with a red flag that came out with seven laps to go due to a scary crash involving Indy 500 rookie Caio Collet. Flames billowed from the side of his car as it skidded to a stop in the grass. After a 10-minute delay, racing resumed, and Armstrong and Malukas surged past the top two cars—Rosenqvist and Pato O’Ward.
With three and a half laps left, another yellow flag came out when Mick Schumacher, son of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, brushed the wall in turn two. On the final restart, Malukas overtook Armstrong for the lead and started pulling away from the two Meyer Shank Racing drivers. However, Rosenqvist eventually caught up to Malukas, securing his place in history.
Malukas admitted he couldn’t think of anything else he could have done to hold onto the lead. “I was given two options: either I lift or I crash with Felix,” said Armstrong, who finished fifth. “I chose to lift. I don’t know if I could have done anything different.”
Celebrations and Heartbreak
As Rosenqvist celebrated by sipping milk and then dumping it over his head, Malukas was consoled by his father in pit lane. Malukas’ teammate, Scott McLaughlin of New Zealand, finished third, while Rosenqvist’s best friend in racing, O’Ward, took fourth place. O’Ward has had two runner-up finishes and a third place in the past four years.
Australia’s Will Power spun out and failed to finish the race. The day was also marked by a 12-minute rain delay near the midway point, which affected strategies throughout the afternoon. Although the rain didn’t return until after Rosenqvist’s victory, it played a significant role in shaping the race dynamics.
A Strange Day at the Brickyard
Despite the challenges, the race saw some standout performances. Alex Palou, the defending Indy champion and pole winner, led the most laps (59), had the most on-track passes (60), and retained the points lead. However, Malukas passed Kyle Kirkwood for second in the standings, trailing the four-time series champion and 2025 Indy winner by 40 points.
Double Trouble
Katherine Legge’s attempt to become the first woman to complete “The Double” ended after just 17 laps when she couldn’t avoid Ryan Hunter-Reay’s spinning car. Her car skidded down the track and into the inside wall in turn two. The English driver was checked at the track’s infield medical care centre and was released. She was still planning to travel to Charlotte for the Coca-Cola 600 where she’s scheduled to start 37th.
