By: Spencer Neff
May 24, 2026
Despite multiple stoppages due to rain and later restart, Meyer Shank Racing’s Felix Rosenqvist made a bold pass on Team Penske’s David Malukas at the finish line on the final lap to win the 110th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.
Rosenqvist, who started fourth and led 25 laps, beat Malukas by .0233 of a second, breaking the record set in 1992 with Al Unser Jr.’s victory over Scott Goodyear (.043 of second). For the third time in four years and fifth in 110 runnings, the Indianapolis 500 was decided on a last-lap pass.
Rosenqvist earns his second INDYCAR victory and first since Race 2 at Road America in 2020, 98 races ago. He also delivers Meyer Shank Racing their second INDYCAR victory and first in five years, when Helio Castroneves earned a record-tying fourth victory in the race.
This is Rosenqvist’s second win among 120 career INDYCAR starts. In seven previous Indianapolis 500s, his best finish was fourth (2022 and 2025). Those were also his previous best finishes on an oval.
The Varnamo, Sweden native joins Kenny Brack (1999) and Marcus Ericsson (2022) as drivers from his country to win. He is also the 183rd INDYCAR driver to win multiple races.
Despite a heartbreaking second-place, Malukas vaulted himself to second in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES points standings, 46 behind Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou. After starting on the pole and leading a race-high 59 laps, Palou would see his bid for consecutive Indianapolis 500 victories end with a seventh-place finish.
Malukas’ teammate Scott McLaughlin earned his best Indianapolis 500 by finishing third. Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’ Ward continued his stellar run at the speedway and finished in fourth. After leading on the final lap restart, Rosenqvist’s teammate Marcus Armstrong also earned a career-best finish in his third “500” and bookended the Top Five for MSR.
Third, fourth and fifth were separated by just .0155 of second.
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Mick Schumacher finished best among the rookies in 17th despite making light contact with the outside wall in Turn 2 on Lap 196.
Sunday’s race also featured a record-breaking 70 lead changes, breaking the previous mark of 68 from 2013. 14 of the 33 starters led in the 200-lap race.
Recap
Palou and Rossi swapped the lead nine teams in the opening 14 laps. On Lap 19, 2014 winner Ryan Hunter Reay got loose exiting Turn 2 and made contact with the outside wall.
The Arrow McLaren driver would collide with Katherine Legge of HMD Motorsports with A.J. Foyt Racing. Both drivers would be seen and released from the medical center shortly thereafter but their race was done. Legge now heads to Charlotte and will compete in tonight’s Coca-Cola 600 in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Moments after the Lap 27 restart, Takuma Sato and Ed Carpenter made contact in Turn 1, sending the latter into a violent impact with the outside wall. The three-time pole winner and 2018 runner-up climbed from his car but his 23rd Indianapolis 500 was over after 26 laps.
Rookie Caio Collet wrangled the lead from Dale Coyne Racing’s Romain Grosjean shortly after the Lap 36 restart as the duo were among the last to pit.
After the first round of green-flag pit stops, the CGR duo of Palou and Dixon began swapping the lead in a tandem fuel-saving effort. On Lap 92, Andretti Global’s Will Power spun exiting pit lane after a reported gearbox failure.
During the ensuing caution, Ed Carpenter Racing’s Alexander Rossi’s day would come to a disappointing end with engine issues, eerily similar to what knocked him out of the race a year ago. Rossi, still on the mend from his accident six days earlier, climbed from his car with assistance but was otherwise in good condition.
While the field lapped the IMS oval under caution, raindrops were reported within the vicinity of the speedway. On Lap 106, the red flag was called and the field was brought down to pit road. Following a 12-minute stoppage, the race continued with a restart on Lap 110.
After eight laps under green, raindrops again were reported in Turn 4. During the caution, Grosjean was penalized for passing cars under the caution. As the green flag waved for the restart on Lap 126, Newgarden spun in Turn 4 and crashed out of the race, ending his bid for a third “500” win over the last four.
He suffered a contusion but the 2023 and 2024 winner climbed from his car under his own power.
Following the Lap 132 restart, the race would run the next 60 laps under green, the longest stretch of the afternoon. With eight laps to go, Collet saw his debut at the 500 come to a violent conclusion with a crash exiting Turn 2.
INDYCAR officials promptly displayed the second red flag of the day. Shortly after the Lap 196 restart, Armstrong surged into the lead before Schumacher’s contact in Turn 2 displayed the yellow again.
Cleanup would be finished int time for a one-lap dash for victory. Malukas surged past Armstrong in Turn 1 and was nearing his first INDYCAR victory but Rosenqvist drafted past and clipped Malukas at the Yard of Bricks to win.
Slowed by seven cautions over 51 laps, the race was run at an average speed of 162.021 mph. It is just the fourth Indianapolis 500 in the last 16 to run over three hours. Only 10 of the first 94 runnings were completed in under three hours.
Up Next
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES concludes a busy month as they return to the streets of Detroit for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix. Opening practice on the 1.645-mile, 10-turn Michigan street circuit is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. EDT on Friday, May 29 (FS2.
Saturday, May 30 begins with second practice at 9:00-10:30 a.m. EDT (FS1) with qualifying at 1:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m. (FS1).
Race Day begins with the morning warmup scheduled for 9:30 a.m. EDT (FS1) and the 100-lap race will air later on Sunday, May 31 at 12:30 p.m. with a 12:52 green flag time. Stay with IndyCar1909.com and our social media platforms with all the latest on the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.
Header Image By James Black/INDYCAR
IndyCar1909.com 