Felix Rosenqvist Wins 110th Indy 500, Closest Finish in History

The 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 — Source: Justin Casterline / Getty

SPEEDWAY, Ind.–Swedish driver Felix Rosenqvist won the 110th Indianapolis 500 on Sunday afternoon by holding off David Malukas in what goes down as the closest finish in the history of the 500.

This race also set the record for most lead changes in an Indianapolis 500 with 70. There were also 14 different leaders throughout the day. The previous record was 68 in 2013.

Before 2026, Rosenqvist’s best finish at the Indy 500 was 4th. In this race, he started 4th and drove his No. 60 SiriusXM Honda to victory by .0233 of a second. The photo finish broke the previous record for the closest finish, .043 of a second in 1992 when Al Unser Jr. held off Scott Goodyear.

“That was the coolest finish I’ve ever seen or been a part of. I won the Indy 500. There’s no other way I would have preferred to win it honestly,” said Rosenqvist to the IMS Radio Network.

Rosenqvist made a late pass of David Malukas on the final stretch to win the 500 for Meyer Shank Racing. It is his second IndyCar win and first Indy 500 victory. Rosenqvist is the third Swedish driver to win the Indy 500.

“We were so close. I don’t know what we could have done differently. It’s just gut wrenching. I hope it’ll happen for us one day,” said Malukas to the IMS Radio Network.

After Malukas, Scott McLaughin (3rd), Pato O’Ward (4th), and Marcus Armstrong (5th) round out the Top 5.

Katherine Legge and Ryan Hunter-Reay were the first drivers to exit the race after Hunter-Reay lost control of his car and Legge tried to avoid it which caused her car to spin and crash into the Turn 2 infield wall. She also is supposed to participate in NASCAR’s Coca Cola 600 Sunday night.

“I’m just gutted,” said Legge.

2023 and 2024 Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden worked his way from 23rd up to 4th, but he spun and hit the Turn 4 wall on the lap 126 restart.

Even though Helio Castroneves’ quest for a fifth Indianapolis 500 victory ended with him finishing 25th, he is a minority owner in Meyer Shank Racing. That’s the team that Rosenqvist drives for.