Felix Rosenqvist wins Indy 500

Felix Rosenqvist left Indianapolis with the biggest win of his career after a race that turned on a final-lap run to the line. The Meyer Shank Racing driver passed David Malukas exiting Turn 4 on Lap 200 and won the 110th Indianapolis 500 by 0.0233 seconds, according to Indianapolis Motor Speedway and multiple race reports. The margin broke the previous closest-finish mark from 1992, and the race’s 70 lead changes set a new event record. Rookie Caio Collet’s fiery crash with nine laps remaining brought out a red flag that set up the one-lap sprint to the finish. ### How close was the finish? The official margin was 0.0233 seconds. Indianapolis Motor Speedway said Rosenqvist drove the high line exiting Turn 4 and edged the No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet of Malukas at the Yard of Bricks, breaking Al Unser Jr.’s 1992 record margin of 0.043 seconds over Scott Goodyear. (indianapolismotorspeedway.com) David Malukas appeared set to win when he cleared the field on the final restart and led most of the last lap. CBS Sports and Yahoo Sports reported that Rosenqvist surged late, completing the pass only at the line in what became the 70th lead change of the day. ### How did the last lap get set up? (indianapolismotorspeedway.com) Caio Collet crashed with nine laps to go, and his car caught fire after hitting the wall. Yahoo Sports reported that Collet climbed from the car and walked away, while officials stopped the race with eight laps remaining to clear the track and ensure a green-flag finish. (cbssports.com) Mick Schumacher then hit the wall with four laps left after the race had resumed, bringing out another caution. CBS Sports said that sequence turned the closing stretch into a one-lap sprint, with Marcus Armstrong taking the lead at the restart before Malukas moved ahead and Rosenqvist followed him through. (sports.yahoo.com) ### What made the race historic beyond the finish? The number 70 was the other headline figure. Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Yahoo Sports both said the 2026 race broke the Indy 500 record of 68 lead changes, set in 2013. Felix Rosenqvist also became the third Swedish driver to win the race. (cbssports.com) Indianapolis Motor Speedway said he joined Kenny Brack, who won in 1999, and Marcus Ericsson, who won in 2022. The victory was Rosenqvist’s second career IndyCar win and his first at Indianapolis. ### Where did the contenders come from late in the race? (indianapolismotorspeedway.com) Alex Palou started from pole and spent much of the race near the front, but he did not repeat as winner. Yahoo Sports said Palou looked poised to win for much of the afternoon before the late cautions reordered the finish, while USA Today reported he ended the race in seventh. (indianapolismotorspeedway.com) Marcus Armstrong and Pato O’Ward were also in the late fight. Yahoo Sports and CBS Sports both described the final restart as a scramble among Armstrong, Malukas, Rosenqvist and O’Ward before Rosenqvist found enough momentum to clear Armstrong and run down Malukas at the line. (sports.yahoo.com) ### What comes next after Indianapolis? The next IndyCar race is the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix on May 31. Rosenqvist will arrive there as the Indianapolis 500 winner after delivering Meyer Shank Racing its first Indy 500 victory since 2021, according to Yahoo Sports and Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (sports.yahoo.com 1) (sports.yahoo.com 2)