Felix Rosenqvist of Sweden secured the closest victory in Indianapolis 500 history on Sunday, crossing the finish line just 0.0233 seconds ahead of David Malukas at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The dramatic finish surpassed the previous record set in 1992, when Al Unser Jr. beat Scott Goodyear by 0.043 seconds.
Race Decided in Final Moments
Malukas appeared poised for victory after passing race leader Marcus Armstrong on the final restart with one lap remaining. As Rosenqvist and Armstrong, both driving for Meyer Shank Racing, battled side by side down the back straightaway and through Turn 4, Rosenqvist found enough power to pull alongside Armstrong and then slip behind Malukas. In the final 50 feet, Rosenqvist swung to the outside and made the decisive pass to claim the win.
This victory marks Rosenqvist's second career win in 120 IndyCar races and comes shortly after the birth of his first child. He becomes the third Swedish driver to win the Indianapolis 500, joining Kenny Brack and Marcus Ericsson.
Chaotic Final Laps
The race's wild conclusion was preceded by a red flag with seven laps to go due to a scary crash involving rookie Caio Collet, whose car erupted in flames as it skidded to a stop on the grass. After a 10-minute delay, racing resumed, and Armstrong and Malukas surged past the top two cars of Rosenqvist and Pato O'Ward. However, with 3.5 laps left, another yellow flag waved when Mick Schumacher, son of seven-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher, brushed the wall in Turn 2.
On the final restart of Lap 200, Malukas used a slingshot maneuver to pass Armstrong for the lead and began pulling away from the two Meyer Shank Racing drivers. But Rosenqvist chased down the Team Penske driver in the final straightaway to win the biggest race of his career.
Aftermath and Reactions
As Rosenqvist celebrated by drinking milk and pouring it over his head, Malukas was consoled by his father in pit lane. Malukas later expressed uncertainty about what more he could have done to retain the lead. His teammate Scott McLaughlin of New Zealand finished third, while Rosenqvist's close friend O'Ward placed fourth. O'Ward has now recorded two runner-up finishes and a third place in the past four Indianapolis 500 races.
