Rosenqvist Wins 2026 Indianapolis 500 in Closest Finish in Race History

Felix Rosenqvist surged from third to first on the final lap to win the 110th Indianapolis 500 for Meyer Shank Racing on Sunday, edging David Malukas by just 0.0233 seconds at the Yard of Bricks — the closest finish in race history. The 34-year-old Swede ran the high line through Turn 4, clearing teammate Marcus Armstrong and then catching Malukas on the last straight. Rosenqvist’s Indy 500 victory is only his second career NTT IndyCar Series win, adding to his 2020 REV Group Grand Prix triumph. The race set an all-time record with 70 lead changes across its 200 laps.

Sources: Motorsport.com

Malukas Sits Heartbroken After Losing Indy 500 by 0.0233 Seconds

David Malukas sat motionless in his No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet after crossing the finish line 0.0233 seconds behind Felix Rosenqvist in the closest Indianapolis 500 in history. The 24-year-old American held the lead heading onto the final straight before Rosenqvist swept past on the high line. “Every strategy, everything — we did everything correct with this team,” Malukas told reporters on pit road, visibly in tears. “This just comes down to the IMS gods not picking us — yet. But it’s coming.” The runner-up finish moves Malukas to second in the drivers’ championship, 43 points behind Alex Palou.

Sources: Fox Sports

Armstrong Admits “Wrong Call” Cost Meyer Shank Racing the Indy 500 Victory

Marcus Armstrong led the Indianapolis 500 heading into the final lap restart before a tactical error let his chance slip. Armstrong moved early through the middle of Turn 4 when the green flag waved, trying to create a gap, but the slipstream drew David Malukas around the outside into Turn 1. Teammate Felix Rosenqvist then cleared Armstrong in Turn 4 and drove past Malukas at the line. The New Zealander, who drives the No. 66 Meyer Shank Racing Honda, was devastated after finishing fifth. “I can’t believe how disappointed I am,” Armstrong said. “I feel like I lost an Indy 500 for my team.”

Sources: Speedcafe.com

Newgarden Crashes Out of Indianapolis 500 with Minor Foot Injury on Lap 124

Josef Newgarden’s Indianapolis 500 ended on Lap 124 when the two-time race champion clipped the curbing in Turn 4, lost control of his No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet, and slammed the SAFER Barrier left-front first. Newgarden had charged from 23rd to fourth at the time of the crash. He was transported to the infield care centre and later released after treatment for a minor foot injury. The retirement leaves him ninth in the drivers’ championship with 167 points, 112 behind series leader Alex Palou. Newgarden had topped final practice the previous Friday and entered the race among the favourites.

Sources: Racer.com

Collet’s Fiery Crash Red-Flags the Indianapolis 500 with Seven Laps to Go

Brazilian rookie Caio Collet became the dramatic pivot point of the 2026 Indianapolis 500 when his No. 4 A.J. Foyt Chevrolet caught fire after a heavy impact in Turn 2 on Lap 193, with seven laps still to run. Collet got loose coming off the corner and overcorrected, sending his car into the outside wall; the right rear burst into flames as the car skidded across the infield grass. Race Control red-flagged the event, allowing officials to clear debris and giving drivers a standing restart with four laps remaining. Collet, competing in his first Indianapolis 500, climbed out unaided and was taken to the care centre for evaluation.

Sources: Speedcafe.com

Katherine Legge’s Historic Double Attempt Derailed by Lap 17 Indianapolis 500 Crash

Katherine Legge’s bid to become the first woman to complete the Indianapolis 500–Coca-Cola 600 “Double” ended after just 17 laps when Ryan Hunter-Reay snapped loose off Turn 2 and hit the outside wall. Legge swerved in her No. 11 HMD Motorsports Chevrolet to avoid Hunter-Reay and spun into the inside barrier. Despite the early Indy exit, Legge was transferred directly to Charlotte Motor Speedway and started the 600 from 37th on the grid. Her night in NASCAR proved equally difficult; a lost wheel mid-race dropped her to nine laps down. “A calamity of errors,” she said after the gruelling Memorial Day double.

Sources: Motorsport.com

Palou Extends Championship Lead to 43 Points After Leading Most Laps at Indy

Alex Palou finished seventh at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday but extended his drivers’ championship lead to 43 points over new second-place David Malukas. The four-time IndyCar champion led the most laps of the race — 59 of 200 — and logged the most on-track passes of any driver. Palou started from pole position, his second Indy 500 pole, and scored bonus qualifying points during last week’s qualification. Kyle Kirkwood is third in the standings at 224 points, with Christian Lundgaard fourth on 195. The series heads to Detroit for the Chevrolet Grand Prix on May 31.

Sources: Yahoo Sports

Schumacher’s Wall Contact Sets Up Dramatic One-Lap Indy 500 Shootout

Rookie Mick Schumacher produced an inadvertent starring role in the 2026 Indianapolis 500’s dramatic conclusion. Running 18th in his No. 47 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda, Schumacher made brief contact with the Turn 2 wall on Lap 197 as Marcus Armstrong held a narrow lead. The resulting yellow flag wiped out Armstrong’s advantage and set up a green-flag finale from a standing restart — the scenario that ultimately produced the closest finish in race history. Schumacher, the son of seven-time Formula 1 world champion Michael Schumacher, finished 18th in his Indianapolis 500 debut, completing all 200 laps.

Sources: Motorsport.com

Meyer Shank Racing Celebrates Historic 1–5 Result at the Indianapolis 500

Meyer Shank Racing scored arguably the team’s finest result in its Indianapolis 500 history on Sunday, placing two cars in the top five with Felix Rosenqvist winning and Marcus Armstrong finishing fifth. The Honda-powered squad ran strategy that vaulted Rosenqvist to the lead at key moments throughout the final third of the race. Team co-owner Michael Shank’s outfit also entered Helio Castroneves, the four-time Indy 500 winner, who retired after 194 laps with a mechanical problem. The 1–5 result cements Meyer Shank Racing in fifth place in the teams’ championship with 321 points, having outscored every team in this single race.

Sources: TrackSideOnline.com

Will Power and Alexander Rossi Both Eliminated by Mechanical Failures at the Indy 500

Two prominent Indianapolis 500 contenders were eliminated by mechanical failures on Sunday. Will Power’s No. 26 Andretti Global Honda blew its engine on Lap 92, the Australian confirmed over the radio with the single word “exploded.” Power was classified 29th. Alexander Rossi’s No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet suffered a fire and retired from the same lap, leaving the former Indy 500 champion 30th. Both drivers had run competitively in the early stages. The double DNF leaves Power 17th in the championship with 112 points and Rossi 13th in the standings with 127 points heading into the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix on May 31.

Sources: Motorsport.com

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