Felix Rosenqvist won the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, edging David Malukas at the line in the closest finish in the race’s history. A late caution turned the final laps into a one-lap scramble, and the 34-year-old Swede made the pass that gave him his first victory in the world’s biggest auto race.
Rosenqvist had been in the lead with five laps to go while the race remained under yellow, then stayed out front when it returned to green with four laps left. Marcus Armstrong grabbed the lead with three laps to go, but the finish changed again after the late caution sent the field charging to the flag. Rosenqvist managed his fuel and saved enough gas to prevail, then described the car simply: “What a car. I thought we were the best car.”
The result added another layer to a race already defined by its late drama. The closing laps were not a clean sprint but a test of timing, track position and fuel, and Rosenqvist got all three right when it mattered most. Malukas pushed him to the line, but the margin settled the sort of finish that will be measured against every Indianapolis 500 that came before it.
For Rosenqvist, the win was the breakthrough that had eluded him in one of motorsport’s biggest stages. For everyone else, it was a reminder that the Indy 500 can still turn on a single caution and a single pass, even after 110 runnings.
