Felix Rosenqvist made Swedish history

Felix Rosenqvist has won the Indianapolis 500.

The 34-year-old Swede from Värnamo achieved a historic triumph in the 110th edition of the classic race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where the decision came only at the finish line after a dramatic final lap.

Rosenqvist passed David Malukas just before the finish, winning by a margin of 0.023 seconds. It is the smallest winning margin in the race’s history.

The victory makes Rosenqvist the third Swede in history to win the Indy 500, following Kenny Bräck in 1999 and Marcus Ericsson in 2022.

The final lap decided everything

Rosenqvist started fourth and was one of the main contenders throughout the race. With less than ten laps remaining, he had driven himself into the lead, but a crash further back in the field caused the race to be red-flagged.

When the race restarted with four laps to go, Rosenqvist immediately dropped to third place behind David Malukas and teammate Marcus Armstrong.

Shortly thereafter, another yellow flag came out after Mick Schumacher crashed into the wall. This left only a single lap remaining when the race was to be decided.

Rosenqvist went all in.

He went to the outside of Armstrong, completed the maneuver through Turn 4, and emerged onto the straight in second place behind Malukas. There, he carried his momentum and managed to pass the Penske driver just before the finish line.

– Unbelievable. I still can’t comprehend it, says Felix Rosenqvist.

– It somehow became quite optimal when I fell to third before the final restart. I knew there was a chance to win from there. On the last lap, I was determined to go full throttle no matter what happened, had to go on the outside, and it worked.

“Biggest day of my career”

Rosenqvist has previously won several of junior racing’s biggest races, including the Macau Grand Prix twice. But the victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the biggest of his career.

– This is undoubtedly the biggest day of my career, he says.

– This is the biggest race in the world, and to win it this way… it’s indescribable. I’ve dreamed of this exact scenario many times, and today it became a reality.

Rosenqvist led a total of 25 laps and took his second IndyCar victory. The first came at Road America in 2020. This was his first oval victory.

The victory also comes during a special private month. Rosenqvist and his wife Emille recently became parents to their daughter Stella.

– I really miss my wife and Stella here today. I wish they were here. This month will not be forgotten anytime soon. First becoming a father and then winning the Indy 500. It’s probably hard to top.

Fastest all month

Rosenqvist had shown pace throughout May. For the second year in a row, he recorded the fastest lap of the month around the Indianapolis oval.

He was the only one in the field to exceed 233 mph, with a lap of 233.372 mph, equivalent to 375.5 km/h.

He also set this year’s fastest qualifying attempt with a four-lap average of 232.599 mph, equivalent to 374.3 km/h.

After the victory, Rosenqvist climbs to seventh place in the IndyCar championship. The season continues next weekend with the Detroit street race.

Full results, Indy 500 2026

Source: IndyCar.