Washington (United States) (AFP) – Sweden’s Felix Rosenqvist won a last-lap shootout to capture the 110th Indianapolis 500 on Sunday by 0.0233 seconds, the closest finish in race history. Rosenqvist trailed into the final straightaway but surged past American runner-up David Malukas on the outside just before the finish line to win after 200 laps at the famed 2.5-mile (4km) Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval.
“I think we were the best car today. I felt like in all situations we kind of had it under control,” Rosenqvist said. “Today there was something more. We just had something extra. It felt really good. Everything was rolling so well.” The 34-year-old Swede took his only prior IndyCar triumph in 2020 at Road America, but his second victory in 120 career series starts was one for the ages.
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“Unreal. I still don’t believe it,” Rosenqvist said. “I don’t know what to say. What a car. What a car. Massive thanks to the team.” A fuel strategy run allowed Rosenqvist to grab the lead by passing Mexico’s Pato O’Ward on the backstretch with 14 laps remaining. A fiery crash into the outer wall by Brazilian rookie Caio Collet with eight laps to go led to a red flag that halted the race and set up a restart with four laps remaining and Rosenqvist ahead of O’Ward, New Zealand’s Marcus Armstrong, and Malukas.
Armstrong went outside to seize the lead with Malukas second and Rosenqvist third, but German rookie Mick Schumacher’s car struck the outer wall to bring out a final caution flag. That set up a last lap restart and a one-lap charge for the title, with Malukas passing on the outside in turn one to seize the lead only to have Rosenqvist overtake him at the line with New Zealand’s Scott McLaughlin third.
“I don’t know what else we could have done,” a heartbroken and tearful Malukas said, his voice cracking with emotion. “We were the fastest car that whole race. I gave it 150 percent. I almost crashed this damn car every lap. And we still end up with a P2. I don’t know, man, I don’t know what else I can give. I can’t believe it. So close. This place, man. We’re going to come back again. We’re going to bring everything. We’re going to give it 160 percent next time.”
The last of a one-race record 70 Indy 500 lead changes also broke the old closest finish mark of 0.043 seconds from 1992, when Al Unser Jr. edged Scott Goodyear. Rosenqvist compared the reality to his Indy 500 dreams, saying, “It’s not what you think but even better.” For all his efforts to save fuel, it nearly didn’t happen.
“That last yellow didn’t help us but it kind of worked out the right way when I got back to third and just had a flat-out lap on the high line,” Rosenqvist said of the finish. “It was the coolest way you can finish and win an Indy 500.” Before that, his moves worked out well, seizing the late lead with O’Ward nursing limited fuel.
“It was the perfect situation for us before that. Pato was struggling with fuel and we were rich to the end,” Rosenqvist said. “At some point we were going to pass him and just hopefully cruise to the win — but then everything flipped upside down.” The last restart forced him back into chase mode and that turned out to be successful.
“You just have to reload,” said Rosenqvist. “I was a little negative at first. But then you have to look forward. When I got back to third I felt like I was hunting instead of being hunted.”
Spain’s Alex Palou, the pole sitter and 2025 Indy 500 winner, was seventh. A crash on lap 18 ended the race early for Britain’s Katherine Legge, who hoped to complete both the Indy 500 and NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte on the same day. She still planned to race the later event after being unharmed when she slammed into the inner wall exiting turn two, avoiding the crashed car of Ryan Hunter-Reay.
“I’m just gutted more than anything,” Legge said. “I had to abort mission and go low and didn’t quite make it.”
© 2024 AFP
