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Felix Rosenqvist has won the 110th time in the Indianapolis 500 in an exciting race.
Rosenqvist overtook David Malukas and spoiled the American’s first ever IndyCar victory with a stunning move in the final stretch to win it all.
It was also the closest finish in Indy 500 history, as Rosenqvist finished 0.023 seconds ahead of Malukas.
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Felix Rosenqvist, driver of Meyer Shank w/ Curb-Agajanian Honda reacts after winning the NTT IndyCar Series 110th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 24, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (James Gilbert/Getty Images)
Scott McLaughlin finished third, followed by Pato O’Ward, who has now finished second, third and fourth in three straight Indy 500 races.
Towards the end of the race, Brazilian Caio Collet destroyed his vehicle with only seven laps remaining, forcing a pit stop. Collet overcorrected his turn into the wall and his car caught fire as it went into the grass in the middle of the track.
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When Collet walked out physically unscathed, the front of the pack got a breather. But despite the red flag, the drivers were only allowed to get fans in the car, a drink of water and some new batteries. Fuel or tires cannot be changed on the vehicle.
At that point, Rosenqvist made a good move to push past Pato O’Ward for first place. O’Ward, a nine-time winner in IndyCar, has come up short despite holding leads in previous races here at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but his vehicle was not in top form compared to others. He called himself a “sitting duck” after the race considering where his vehicle compared to others on the track.
But it was full throttle for everyone on the track with less than 10 laps to go.
When the green flag finally came out with four laps to go, Marcus Armstrong, Rosenqvist’s teammate, surged forward with a stunning move. But Malukas did, moving into second place, with Rosenqvist and O’Ward dropping to third and fourth respectively.
Felix Rosenqvist, driven by Meyer Shank w/ Curb-Agajanian Honda crosses the finish line to win ahead of David Malukas, driven by Team Penske Chevrolet during the NTT IndyCar Series 110th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 24, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (James Gilbert/Getty Images)
Once again, however, a caution flag came out and the race slowed. As a result, the final lap of the race was a green and white flag – a single lap to decide the 110th running of the Indy 500.
As each car floored the gas pedal, Malukas was out front with Armstrong and Rosenqvist battling behind. But McLaughlin joined the pack with his own push and moved up to third.
Malukas, who said after the race that he felt his No. 12 was “the fastest car in the entire race,” saw victory in sight down the final stretch.
But Rosenqvist made a move to the right and fired it just enough to reach the finish line ahead of his opponent as the Swedish star celebrated over his headset with his team.
“I gave it 150%. I mean, I almost crashed this car every damn lap and we still finished P2,” Malukas said through tears after the race.
Felix Rosenqvist drives car number 60 during practice for the Sonsio Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 8, 2026. (Bob Goshert/For IndyStar/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Meanwhile, Rosenqvist couldn’t believe the finish and thanked the crowd for braving the rain and track delays for a finish worth waiting for. Rosenqvist also said how much he wished his wife, Emille, and their baby girl, who had just been born, could be there to witness this monumental victory for his career.
It’s also a big one for Meyer Shank Racing, marking the second time the team won the Indy 500. The first was Hélio Castroneves’ historic fourth win at the Indy 500, and he also happens to own the vehicle.
